


By Our Own Hands

by poetically_ordinary



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath, Alternate Universe, Assault, BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Pepper Potts, Bullying, Clint is an ass, Disturbing Themes, F/M, Hurt Tony Stark, Loss of Trust, M/M, Not Steve Friendly, One-Sided Relationship, Past Relationship(s), Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protectiveness, Slow Build, Sokovia Accords, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-07-22 06:51:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 89,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7424362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetically_ordinary/pseuds/poetically_ordinary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Captain America throws his mighty shield, all those who choose to oppose his shield must yield. </p><p>Except Tony didn't get that message, and after everything that happened with Zemo and the Accords Steve had figured that everything would just go back to the way it was before. When the team finally gets invited back to the Compound, Steve is sure everything is back to normal. </p><p>However, once trust is broken it's very hard to repair and things are quickly spiraling out of control. Now the team must come together under the new banner of the Accords and find a way to heal, or all might be lost.</p><p> </p><p>  <b> This work has been orphaned. It will not be expanded upon. Thank you. </b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Un'beta'd.  
> And I don't own anything. 
> 
> Basic disclosures aside: Please read the tags, I'm serious about them guys. 
> 
> This is an AU of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, based off of a prompt that I saw on Tumblr somewhere that basically said 'what if civil war happened but Tony and Steve had already been in a romantic relationship?' So here is what came of that.

It takes four weeks.

Four weeks and two days to be specific, when T’Challa walks into the open room of the Avengers current hideaway and tells them to pack up their things they’re leaving.

“You’re kicking us out?” Sam asks, surprised and the young king shakes his head.

“Not at all. Miss Potts is waiting for you in the Stark Jet which is parked in hangar five. She has come to take you back to the Avengers Compound in the States.” There’s a moment where everyone holds their breath. This could be going one of two ways and the king seems to register the concern. “All charges have been dropped against you. Your records have been reinstated and its time that the Avengers returned home. There are things that you have to face still of course, but it is considerably less than it should have been. Now would be the best time to return.” It takes another twenty minutes before T’Challa’s able to show them enough evidence that proves his claim.

Steve follows after the others, taking in the grateful smiles they shoot him with a responding smile of his own. For the last few weeks he had been fielding questions like: What do we do now? What’s going to happen to us? We did the right thing…right? Each time he assured them that this would pass. The UN, the Accords and Tony would realize that they couldn’t be pushed around. Wouldn’t be bullied into anything that they didn’t want to do. Tony had played chicken with Steve, and Steve knew he’d win. He knew that Tony would blink first.

The Stark Jet is waiting just where T’Challa said it would be and Steve watches as the others start boarding. There’s an obvious feeling of relief and victory from his team as they get on board. Pepper doesn’t glance up or greet them when they start strapping in, and she’s silent as they take off into the air.

Sam lets out a relieved sigh as he relaxes back into the seat. “I’m so glad this is all over. It was a little touch and go there for a minute, you know what I mean?” Clint nods and rolls his shoulders.

“I can’t wait to see my family again. Stark better have one hell of an apology planned when we land for all this crap.” Out of the corner of his eye, Steve sees Peppers fingers pause in their typing across the Stark Pad in her hands. There’s a second where her body seems to be shaking before she grips the Pad tightly, taking a deep breath and getting all of –whatever that was- back under control.

“He’d better.” Comes the soft statement from Wanda as she grips onto the straps holding her in. Steve feels a moment of rage on her behalf, remembering how Tony locked her up twice- first in the house using her friend to keep her prisoner, and second in the RAFT where he allowed Ross to put that collar on her. Wanda meets his eyes, gratefulness at his protective feelings for her imprisonment clear in her gaze.

Clint isn’t wrong, Tony has a lot to answer for. This all could have been avoided if Tony had just _listened_ to him. If Tony had realized that what he was proposing was going in the completely opposite way that the Avengers needed to go, then none of this would have happened. Tony wasn’t the only one who wanted to punch the other in their stupidly perfect teeth, sometimes Steve just wished that Tony could be made to see reason at least _once_ in a little while. That would make all of their lives easier. Instead, Tony had made everything worse by demanding Steve’s compromise and being unwilling to do the same. Steve at least could say he never compromised on his principles, Tony couldn’t do that, that’s why Tony should have trusted Steve when he said no to the Accords instead of pushing it.

“Where is Stark?” Steve asks the red head and Pepper looks up at him with a neutral look. It’s the ‘Stark Industries Professional Face’ that Tony gets a lot sometimes and it makes Steve’s skin itch.

“Probably couldn’t face us yet.” Clint mutters with an eye roll. “Coward.” Pepper glances at the archer before nodding once to herself, placing down the Stark Pad in a very deliberate move and stands to her feet.

“I requested to be the one to pick you up. Tony was busy and wanted to be sure that a familiar face was on board when the jet came.”

To say Steve is surprised is a little bit of an understatement. Pepper has always seemed barely tolerant of her boyfriend’s friends. According to Natasha, the only one of them she _had_ liked had been Agent Coulson. “Well, thank you for that consideration ma’am.” She cuts him a hard look.

“I had my own reasons for wanting to be here. I’m here to fill you in on what happens now.” She looks at each of them in turn, her gaze landing on Scott who shuffles at the attention. “Mr. Lang, Miss Van Dyne will be waiting for you when we land at the Compound to take you back home. Mr. Stark has already handled the issues caused by your sudden flight from the state, but you will still be required to check in with your probation officer the moment you get back.” Scott’s body seems to melt into his seat, worry oozing off of him as Wanda gives him a celebratory arm pat.

She glances at Clint before continuing. “Mr. Barton, upon arrival to the Compound you will hand over your equipment and be given a ticket back home.” There’s an eruption of angry voices at that and she holds up her hand, silently demanding them all into silence. “You are retired, you had no business coming back into this but you did anyways. You are no longer an Avenger.” Steve speaks up to that.

“Excuse me Miss Potts, but Hawkeye is a founding member of _my_ team. He was reinstated into duty by _me_.” Clint nods at Steve’s defense of him and Pepper gave him an unimpressed glance.

“Being Team Leader and _owning_ the team are two different things Mr. Rogers. You have never been authorized to add or subtract members at your discretion. The Avengers Initiative accepted Sam Wilson by majority vote, as well as Wanda Maximoff. You were never able to just add members without the consent of the others.” Clint’s face morphs into a snarl.

“So this is Stark being petty.” Pepper slowly turns to look at Clint again, there’s a pause in her body language before she tilts her head.

“Petty? You want to talk to me about being ‘petty’ Mr. Barton?” There’s an undercurrent of something in her voice. “FRIDAY, please play for me the footage from the RAFT involving Tony and Mr. Barton please.”

 _‘Yes Miss.’_ Comes the disembodied voice over the PA system and Steve watches as a projection of Tony walking the halls of the prison is brought into view. The Avengers are in various cells like how Steve found them as he watches Clint taunt and poke at Tony.

 _“Careful, he’ll break your back”_ comes in clearly over the speakers and even Steve flinches a little at the unfortunate timing of Clint’s jab. He learned from Sam after he had broken them all out that Rhodes had been badly injured in the airport fight and would never walk on his own power again. Steve watches as the jab rolls off Tony who doesn’t even flinch, instead of justifying his actions he just takes a petty shot at Scott seconds later. Steve shakes his head, _damn it Tony_ , is his only thought as he sees Scott slide back into the recesses of his cell. That was completely uncalled for.

The video ends and Pepper rubs her temple. “Tony didn’t ask for your bow, Rhodey and I did. I’m pretty sure he thinks you’re going to be arriving back at the Compound like the rest of you. You however, will not. You are finished, I have already pushed forth the needed paperwork. If you so much as notch an arrow again be assured that there will be consequences beyond what you can imagine, and before you start getting any ideas. This option was agreed upon by majority ruling, War Machine, Vision and Spider-Man sided with me on your status.” She smooths her vest down. “Now, I’ve already contacted Laura who has all of the legal paperwork that guarantees your retirement this time, she knows when your flight comes in. You will be on that plane and you will never again darken Tony’s doorstep. I’ve dealt with Tony’s Ex’s who are a thousand times more terrifying than you, trust me when I say I will handle you.”

Steve starts to take a step forward, but is halted by the look Pepper sends his way. “I think this is getting out of hand Miss Potts.”

“No Mr. Rogers, this got out of hand when your merry little band of freeloaders decided to ignore international law and almost killed the two of my closest friends. Tony may be willing to forgive and forget, but I am not so blind.”

“We aren’t freeloaders.” Snaps Wanda, red sparks of magic working around her fingers. “We saved the world on a daily basis, we’re heroes.”

“You’re more delusional than I initially thought.” She pushes a strand of hair out of her face. “Let’s be clear- I don’t like you. I don’t like any of you and if I had gotten my way none of you would be on this plane right now with your self-satisfied, egotistical bullshit. One of the biggest frustrations that Tony causes Rhodey and me is his ability to find terrible people who want to latch onto him. They’re more than willing to spend his money, take his gifts and the toys that he showers them with, but at the same time they think they’re so much better than he is. However, even I have to say that I have never seen a bigger group of those assholes then when I look at the people on this plane with me.” She shakes her head. “Heroes? Please, if you’re what a hero looks like then everything is doomed.”

 _‘Miss? We’ll be arriving in five minutes.’_ FRIDAY interrupts and Pepper nods.

“Okay, then I have to finish this up. Wanda you’ll be restricted to the Compound, before you say anything you are still _not_ an American citizen and therefore have no rights and no right to be on American soil. Until you are deemed safe to be around civilians you will remain inside the Compound without compliant. If this is unacceptable please tell me and I will gladly program this Jet to take you back to your home country. Least I remind you that you are currently Persona non Grata there and will undoubtedly be arrested the moment you land, but that is your choice to make. However do be aware that if you choose to ignore the rules this time and opt to not remain at the Compound that you will immediately be stripped of Avengers status. Also, note that you will have free reign of the entire compound except in times when Vision is in the area. You will not be permitted to access any of the areas that he is currently occupying.”

Wanda’s eyes widened, “What? Why?”

“Vision has requested that he be allowed his space, he’s asked for a…restraining order of a kind, asking that you and he not be in each other’s spheres for a while. I don’t know why he asked FRIDAY for that, I have to assume it has something to do with the massive crater that you buried him in the last time you were in the Compound.” Wanda’s eyes water and Clint places a hand on her shoulder, offering comfort to the shaking girl and glaring at Pepper.

The red head doesn’t even flinch.

“And what about me?” Steve feels the need to engage Pepper and she waves him off.

“You’ll be working with Rhodey and Tony. There are some legal things that need to get done and press tours that need to be handled while we try to fix the public image of Captain America.” She reaches behind her and grabs her Pad again. “Of course, the Accords have returned to the drawing board so there will also be a lot of negotiation on that as well.”

Steve feels his shoulders go back, “I’m not signing the Accords.” Pepper looks at him like he’s an idiot.

“I didn’t ask you to. There are no Accords to sign right now. Tony managed a miracle after the Ross debacle and was able to convince 117 countries leaders that the Avengers never split down the middle and that instead were playing a dangerous gamble to show the inconsistencies of the Accords and how quickly they could become hostile and dangerous. Due to this, they’re allowing the Avengers to pen up the agreement to be ratified by the UN instead of the UN just turning it into law. Something that- by the way- Tony had no power over at any point in time from the Accords conception to their implementation. Tony didn’t _make_ the Accords, _117 countries_ who were tired of your personal little hit squad did. Tony had no power to just miraculously stop the Accords from happening whether he agreed with them or not, it’s hilarious how you seem to think he did.”

The plane lands with a gentle thud and Pepper is the first to walk to the exit that opens for her. He’s starting to think he’s been double crossed when he sees Tony’s old bodyguard, Happy, coming for them. He steps forward and spares a smile for Pepper before becoming all business for the rest of them.

“Good evening gentlemen,” He inclines his head to Wanda, “Miss. Mr. Barton if you would please step this way. We’ve got a car waiting for you and here is your plane ticket.” He holds it out and glances at Pepper when Clint doesn’t take it. “Did Miss Potts not inform you of your departure?”

“Oh she informed me, but I’m not going anywhere.” Happy tilts his head slightly.

“Do you have other arrangements?” He asks and Clint crosses his arms.

“I’m going to talk to Stark and get this bull put behind us.”

“Mr. Stark isn’t available right now, so that’s slightly impossible. As for the other things, your wife is waiting for you to arrive on this plane as we’ve already confirmed it with her and you also have no authorization to be here. You’d be trespassing and something tells me that charges will be pressed if you push this.”

Steve hears Pepper mutter. “Every, and any, charge I can manage.” He reaches out and places a hand on Clint’s shoulder.

“Go home to your family right now, we’ll handle this here.” Clint searches his eyes before nodding once and allowing Happy to lead him off to the car nearby. Steve feels irritation at Pepper as she barely spares a glance for the man she’s unjustly attacking before walking inside.

There’s a woman that Steve doesn’t recognize standing in the door in a smartly pressed suit, but it takes all of two seconds to realize that this must be Miss. Van Dyne. She just stares Scott down with her arms crossed before shaking her head in exasperation.

“You never think out the consequences of your actions do you Scott?”

“Captain America needed me” Comes Scotts argument and Hope shakes her head.

“Cassie needed you, I needed you. Captain America doesn’t just trump everything else- damn it Scott.” He shrinks a little under her frustration and she rolls her eyes. “Come on, time to go fix this. No more burying your head in the sand.” She turns on her heels and starts walking away, Scott following shortly behind. He gives them a parting smile as they leave them standing there awkwardly.

Sam rolls his shoulders. “I guess I’m going to have to use that room Stark made for me, they probably evicted me.” Steve goes to apologize to Sam when Pepper shakes her head.

“Tony paid for your residence. It’s been kept up, you’re of course responsible for it now but he made last month’s payment.” Steve feels like there’s something Pepper isn’t saying. Is this something that Tony is going to use against Sam because Sam sided with Steve? Steve wouldn’t really put it past him.

“Oh, wow…um give him a thank you for me?” Sam offers up and Pepper nods as Steve reaches out and puts a hand on Sam’s shoulder. He waits a few seconds before leaning over and whispering into his ear.

“Don’t let him make you think you owe him now or something alright? You don’t owe him anything.” Sam gives Steve a look, lowering his voice in turn.

“Do you honestly think he’d do that?”

“It’s Tony.” Is the answer he gives, like he’s stating that the sky is blue or something and Sam frowns before nodding once. Sam slowly walks away to head home and Wanda steps forward her body language showing that she’s ready to pick a fight.

“I demand to speak to Vision.” Pepper practically ignores her.

“Ask FRIDAY, she’ll ask him and you’ll go from there.” Pepper walks over to the elevator. “FRIDAY, shop please.”

_‘Of course Miss’_

“I thought Tony wasn’t here.” Steve says with a slight accusation to his tone and she keeps typing away on the Stark Pad.

“He isn’t available.” She answers him as the doors start to close and Steve reaches forward and places his hand in there to keep them from closing.

“I’m coming down.”

“No.”

“FRIDAY, please inform Stark that I’d like permission to come down and talk to him.” There’s a pause as the AI follows through with his request.

 _‘Miss? Boss has given permission.’_ Steve gets a grin as Pepper rolls her eyes. He steps into the elevator and looks at Wanda.

“I’ll catch up with you later, why don’t you go get settled back in?” She takes a second before nodding as the doors close. When they open again Steve doesn’t see Tony, he follows after Pepper instead figuring she’ll lead him to the other man.

It takes a few moments before they cross into another area and Steve hears Tony’s voice carry. “I know Charles. I’m doing what I can from this side, but we’re up a creek if we don’t manage to hold off that DA.”

 ** _“I believe it might already be too late to prevent that Tony. She’s determined to hitch her wagon to persecuting would be vigilantes.”_** A strange, slightly posh voice comes out over the speakers as Steve finally gets his first glimpse of Tony.

He looks well enough, his hair askew and oil stains covering his shirt and arms. The thing that catches Steve’s attention though is the white, or what _used_ to be white, cast that seems to be covering Tony’s chest, hugging his body like the body/chest armor of the Iron Man suit. Steve feels a moment of irritation, because he’s pretty sure that Tony put that thing on to make Steve feel bad about the actions that Tony forced him to take against him.

If Tony hadn’t gone crazy for no good reason, then Steve wouldn’t have been forced to put him down. Sure, Steve felt terrible about Howard and his girl, but Bucky was innocent and Tony should have realized that and let it go. Bucky wasn’t Tony’s enemy and yet Tony and his unstable personality had jeopardized everything. “I’ll see what I can do. She’s made a lot of enemies in the legal system. Plenty of people have a tendency to go down for her when she botches a case. I’ll put something together and get her off our back for a while.” Tony glances at them and sits up. “Hey Charles, I’ve got to go but keep me updated.”

 ** _“Of course Tony. Thank you again for all that you’ve put into this.”_** Tony waves him off even though he can’t see him.

“Hopefully this one doesn’t blow up in our faces. Talk to you soon.” The call cuts out and Tony sighs before addressing the AI. “FRIDAY, you know the drill. I need everything on that DA.”

 _‘Sure thing Boss.’_ Steve wants to clench his fist. This is what is wrong with the justice system. This is why the Avengers can’t trust it. Because people like Tony come in and blackmail and bully good people into submission through politics.

“Pepper, light of my life, I was under the impression that the team was returning tomorrow.” Tony says as he spins his chair around to see the two of them. Pepper does a one shoulder shrug as she comes forward and offers the Pad to him.

“I needed to take care of some things before they returned.” Is her answer and Tony looks at her with genuine looking confusion.

“What did you need to handle?”

Steve chooses this moment to step up into the conversation. “We need to talk Tony.” Tony glances at him and motions with his hand for Steve to talk as he looks at the Pad and clearly signs a few things before swiping and signing more.

“Talk Captain.” Steve glances at Pepper.

“In private.” Tony shakes his head.

“This is the Compound. It’s like the Tower, there’s really no such thing as privacy. FRIDAY is everywhere, and there’s nothing you can’t say that you wouldn’t be able to say in front of Pep.”

Steve crosses his arms and shakes his head. “Miss Potts has made her stance against us very clear. I’d rather she not be in the room.” Tony gets a little grin and beams at Pepper.

“Did you go Mama Bear on their asses? You know I love when you do that right? I’m sad I wasn’t there to see it.” She chuckles and rolls her eyes.

“You’re impossible.” She says fondly and Tony smiles at her statement. Steve feels like he’s intruding on something awkward between the two of them for a few moments and clears his throat. Tony glances at him again and looks back at Pepper.

“One moment?” She frowns but nods none-the-less and exits the area. Steve has a feeling that she’s not far away though. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Who was that on the phone?”

Tony brushes it off. “No one you need to worry about. That was just something I’m working on with a friend.”

“And what kind of friend is that? One that asks you to blackmail district attorneys? Damn it Tony, you can’t be doing stuff like that.” Tony gives him a look that Steve can’t place, before shaking his head.

“You’re right, that probably wouldn’t be the kind of friend that someone should have. Good thing he wasn’t asking for that.”

“I heard what you said. I heard what you told FRIDAY to do, don’t lie to me Tony.”

“I’m not lying. That DA is crooked as they come and she’s got her eyes on the Mayor’s chair. With all this crap from the broken Accords she’s going after vigilantes and powered people. They shouldn’t get fucked over because we weren’t able to get our shit together before it boiled out of the pot and all over them.” Tony sighed, rubbing his chest a little and Steve sighed. Yup, definitely a pity tactic. He hated when Tony did that. “Look, things are getting crazy Captain. Aliens and super soldiers aren’t the only concern now. They’re trying to go after mutants, put restrictions on them just for being born the way that they are. Charles is trying to prevent that and he asked for my help. That’s it, that’s all I’m doing. I’m trying to help. Our little stunt with the Accords have had consequences, they’re going after these innocent people now.”

“And whose fault is that Tony?” Steve snaps a little. “If you hadn’t pushed for the Accords than this couldn’t have happened.”

“That can’t be what you came down here to talk about. What can I do for you?”

“Pepper isn’t letting Wanda see Vision and she forced Clint into retirement. Just because you’re angry doesn’t mean that you should attack the people who sided with me.” Tony glances at him again with that unreadable look.

“One: Vision asked FRIDAY if she could do that for him. I had nothing to do with that and neither did Pepper. Two: Pepper didn’t force Clint’s retirement, Clint _was_ retired. He’s _still_ retired. That has nothing to do with us. I voted that he should be allowed to choose to reinstate. I was overruled.”

“Then we need to do a new vote.”

“Not for a while. We’ve got other problems at hand and let Clint enjoy time with his family. He’s been away for a while. Laura was constantly calling me, this isn’t a bad thing. In a few months if he wishes to rejoin he can put in a request and we’ll vote at that time. Let him initiate it, and we’ll handle it then.”

Steve sighs, as he realizes that this isn’t how he really wanted to reunite with Tony. In his head he saw it going down more along the lines of: Tony would have been in the Jet with Vision to pick them up from Wakanda instead of Pepper. In that one Tony would have apologized for the actions he took against the team, against his _family_ and they would have forgiven him and they could have all gone back to the way things were.

None of this was going the way it was supposed to. Steve had a lot of time to think in Wakanda during their temporary exile. And if anything it just solidified that he had been right to do what he did. The actions he took to protect Bucky also protected the Avengers too. They didn’t need government oversight, they needed to be a team and to hold themselves accountable. Everyone else agreed with Steve, why couldn’t Tony? Even Natasha had changed her mind when she realized that Steve had been right, and Vision…well Vision was still trying to understand this world so he probably didn’t even fully understand what had gone down. He was even more of a child than Wanda was at times, so Steve didn’t blame him for following Tony. “What’s with the cast?” Steve finally asks and Tony glances down at it like he’d forgotten it was there.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. It’s fine.”

“What’s it for?” Tony waves it off sending up red flags that he’s keeping secrets again from Steve. Didn’t they both just learn that secret keeping was a bad thing? “Tony.”

“It’s just holding things in place for right now. It’s fine Captain, it’ll be gone in a week or so. Helen thinks it might even be off later this week. I’m hopeful, can’t really move around in this thing.” He taps it like he’s trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing, but something is up. Tony mentioning Helen Cho is a little worrying, but Steve is certain that he didn’t hit Tony hard enough to cause any permanent damage.

“What’s it holding together?”

“What isn’t it holding together right now?” Is the almost sarcastic reply, and Steve feels like Tony isn’t taking this seriously.

“I’m trying to fix this Tony, I’d appreciate it if you took this seriously.” Tony slowly turns his glance to him.

“Oh, trust me Captain. I’m taking this very seriously. I always take _everything_ these days very seriously.”

“You never called.” It slips out and Tony shakes his head.

“Did you honestly expect me to?”

“Yes I did. I thought we were worth more than that. More than what Zemo did.”

Tony searches Steve’s face before slowly shaking his head. “Zemo didn’t do anything to us, you and I did. What did you think would happen? After all that bullshit about ‘we don’t keep secrets from each other Tony’ and then to know that you knew for years…” He cuts off for a second, his voice thick with emotion. “To know that you laid there while I talked about her…to know that you _knew_ and you didn’t tell me. You had more than enough chances to come clean Rogers.” He slowly stands, like the motion is complicated and painful for him. “And now you want to know why I didn’t come crawling like a dog back to the person who not only _betrayed_ me, but also the person who refused to acknowledge me. The one who always kept one foot out the door and always expected me to bow down to him and beg him to stay half in. You were ashamed of me Rogers and now I’m just fed up. One good thing came from this though, no one knew about us so we don’t have to worry about telling others about it. But don’t be fooled Rogers, we’re beyond done.”

Steve felt like a small amount of air left his lungs. “You know it was difficult for me. I just need time Tony, you know that. You said you were okay with that.”

“Well think of it this way, it’s no longer ‘difficult’ for you. Because this-” He motioned between the two of them. “Is never happening again.”

Steve reached out for Tony and was slightly surprised when Tony flinched back. “Don’t I have any say in this?”

“Ghee, I don’t know. I mean I can tell you no, and that I don’t want you and I don’t want you touching me. But at the same time I’ve seen how you take other people’s no when it doesn’t align with what you want to do.” Tony rolled his eyes. “But Captain America is always right isn’t he. Captain America knows what’s best for everyone else even if they don’t want it. He’ll just tell you to shut up and fall in line. Get over yourself Rogers, because I am. I needed you back because I need your help with creating the new Accords. I need you to be helpful for once and just _fucking_ act like a rational adult and work with us here. Because if you don’t…even I don’t want to know what will come around the corner.” Tony walks over to his desk and grabs the letter and the phone, handing them back to Steve. “You know what was really telling though Rogers?” He asks and continues even though Steve didn’t show any interest in him doing so. “Was the whole ‘I hope you understand someday’ bullshit. Sanctimonious asshole. You never once even said the three words that probably would have made me take you back. It’s far too late now, because I can see that it never even crossed your mind.” He shakes his head and starts towards the elevator. “I need to go take my medication now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Steve watches him go and realizes exactly what he meant.

Steve could have said ‘I love you Tony’…but it never even crossed his mind to do so. How did he tell Tony that he still wanted the chance to say them someday?

Steve placed the note and the phone in his pocket. He’d get Tony back, this was probably just Tony playing chicken with him again. Tony always blinked first, he’d come back. Steve was sure of it.

He’d do something nice for Tony, maybe be gentle with Tony and get them both to apologize for what they did. Then they’d move on and things would go back to normal.

 


	2. Chapter 2

“He won’t see me.” There’s a tortured quality to the young girl’s voice and Steve reaches over and puts an arm around her shoulder. He rubs small circles onto her back in an attempt to comfort her. “I don’t know why he’s being like this.”

“Vision?” He clarifies and she nods with a sniffle. “I’m sorry Wanda, if you wanted I could try to talk to him for you? Make him realize how much this is hurting you.” He pulls back lightly to see her face. “Remember, Vision is still young. And on top of that, his main role model for relationships isn’t exactly the role model type.”

Her eyes narrow a little as she looks at him. “You think Stark did this?” Steve pauses to think about it before giving a small shrug.

“Tony has an unfortunate habit of hurting people when he’s not really meaning to. I mean, Vision was okay with you back at the Airfield, so this sudden want to keep his distance does seem kind of suspicious to me. Beyond that, Tony is being…irrationally difficult right now, which is kind of in line with what Vision is doing to you. So something might have rubbed off, intentionally or not.”

Red sparks start leaking from her clenched fists and Steve shakes his head. “That isn’t the way to handle this. We need to be patient with them. Be the better people, and help them realize all of this foolishness is pointless.” For a moment Steve’s almost afraid that Wanda might go after Tony’s head regardless, before the brunette takes a deep breath and the magic fades away. There’s a few seconds of silence where Steve just comforts her before she pulls away.

“How can you stand it? To be that way, to be patient, with _him_?” Steve doesn’t need clarification on who she is talking about by the way she sneers the pronoun.

“A lifetime of practice I guess. I used to deal with a lot of bullies back before the serum. They used to think they were right too, or that they were better than me or something. You just kind of have to plant yourself and refuse to let them compromise who you are.” Steve gives her a smile. “But I’ve learned, things tend to get better in the end. You just have to press on, regardless of what anyone tells you.” She returns his smile and he pulls away. “I’m going to go find Vision and have a talk with him. We’ll fix this.”

“Thank you Steve.”

“Of course.”

-           -           -           -           -

“Captain Rogers.” Is Vision’s customary greeting when he opens the door to Steve. Steve gives him a smile and looks around behind him in the room.

“I’m not interrupting you or anything am I? I can come back?” Vision shakes his head.

“No, I am alone.”

“May I come in?” For a second it almost looks like the Android wants to say no, but thinks differently about it before stepping aside.

“Of course. How may I help you?” Steve steps in and looks around the large room. Vision still hasn’t really decorated his space, it’s still clean and simple.

“I wanted to see how you were doing? I haven’t seen you since the airport, and you didn’t come out yesterday when we returned.” The Android’s face goes through a strange set of complicated emotions that he seems unsure how to properly express.

He settles on something vaguely neutral in the end before talking. “Yes, I do apologize for my absence. I however had decided upon a certain course of action that prevented my presence.”

“May I ask what that is?” Steve knows of course, that its Vision’s restraining order against Wanda, but he wants to hear Vision say it. Maybe if Vision is actually forced to say it aloud, he’ll realize how silly it sounds.

Vision’s shoulders go back slightly. “I wished not to be in the Scarlet Witch’s proximity until I knew how I felt about everything.”

“Felt about everything? What’s there to feel about?” For a moment Vision looks uncomfortable, but Steve just maintains an easy, uncombative stance.

“I am still sorting through my feelings about what the media temporarily coined as our ‘Civil War’.”

Steve reaches out and puts a friendly hand on the Android’s shoulder. He doesn’t doubt that Vision is having a hard time dealing with this.

“I know, I mean I understand. Things have been…difficult these past few weeks.” He gives him a smile. “But it’s going to pass, you know that right? The sooner we can all put this behind us and move on the better we’ll all be for it.”

Vision nods. “I agree Captain Rogers, however I find myself unsure if I am able to ‘put this behind me and move on’ as you say.”

“Maybe I can help? What’s been bothering you?”

“I guess I don’t understand how easy it was for certain individuals to take extreme action against someone who was no threat to them. I do not understand the motivations or the excuses that were given as reasons to why someone would betray a friend like that.”

“What excuses is Tony giving?” Steve asked and Vision looked at him confused.

“Mr. Stark has given no excuses, I speak of Wanda.”

Steve motioned over to the chairs nearby and guided Vision to sit. “I think I can explain _that_ a little better. Wanda didn’t want to hurt you, she didn’t want to hurt any of her friends but least of all you. She’s been asking after you. Trying to make sure you’re okay.”

“My lack of physical injury does not seem to impact the emotional frustration that I experience each time I replay the incidents that led us here.”

“It had nothing to do with you Vision. You have to understand, Wanda…she’s been through a lot of tough times. A lot of people trying to contain and control her. When Tony decided to lock her up here, she was understandably angry. She responded in a completely rational way to escape her jailer. You just kind of got caught in the crossfire. Tony knew that Wanda would feel most comfortable with you here, so he used that to try and manipulate her into not realizing what he had done.”

Vision frowned, shaking his head. “Mr. Stark did not ask for me to stay here with Wanda, in fact he had already contacted Colonel Rhodes and Mr. Hogan. He wished to have a security force here to protect her, but I assured him that it would be better if I remained here with her. That she would be protected and not feel like we were interning her. That was _my_ call Captain.” Vision tilted his head. “And I do not see how this answers for her extreme response to escape. I had not used excessive force with Mr. Barton, and yet I was not granted that same courtesy. This also does not answer for her actions at the airport. She was completely free then, and instead of talking to us or explaining anything, you all attacked us. We were not there to fight, in fact Mr. Stark was so sure it would _not_ come to that, but when it did – we were not the ones who continuously escalated it to the next level.”

Steve shook his head. “We had to, you weren’t listening to us.”

“I believe we were listening Captain, but you weren’t saying anything for us to listen to.”

“The threat that Zemo posed at that moment was too great to allow Tony and his red tape tie our hands.”

“But the threat did not manifest? And at any time you could have mentioned it to us, but you were strangely silent.”

“There was no time.”

“I believe that the battle took up almost thirteen minutes. You had determined that there was a shortage on time, then should it not have been more precious and used more wisely? Thirteen minutes seems like ample time to at least inform the rest of your team the stakes that drove you.”

“Tony started the fight, that wasn’t us.”

“Mr. Stark did no such thing. He requested that you come in, he was very clear with you on what was happening.”

“Tony was compromised.”

“And you weren’t?”

“No, I was acting on good information. I had hoped that we might get through that day without a fight. Even I was surprised how quickly it all got out of hand, none of that was supposed to happen.”

“I’m sorry if I must say Captain…your story seems a little…disingenuous.” At his confused look, Vision continued. “You imply that you did not expect a fight, and yet you called for reinforcements. You claim that Mr. Stark was compromised and that it prevented your ability to be forthcoming with important information, but you ignore your own failings to trust your team and care about anything past Mr. Barnes. However, even if I were to believe that, I cannot in good faith understand then what Mr. Lang was doing hiding on your shield if you did not intend for him to be a Trojan horse.”

“I’m a strategist Vision, it’s what I do. I had a feeling that things were going to go badly. Everything up to that moment had just been one bad scenario followed by another. There’s nothing wrong with being prepared. And this sounds like your issue is more with me and my actions than with Wanda and hers. This isn’t healthy for either of you, and it doesn’t help the team. What if we were to get called out to battle tomorrow? Do you not think that this would impact our ability to work together?”

“I believe that the Scarlet Witch is off field duty temporarily so no, I do not think it would impact field missions.”

“And when she gets put back on missions? What then? This is really something that you should be talking to her about. Give her a chance to explain why she had to take those actions, give her a moment to explain her side of things. You’re saying you would have listened had she talked, well she’s trying to and you’re keeping her locked out.” Steve knows he’s won by the look of concentration that the other gets.

“I suppose you’re correct Captain. I will allow Wanda a moment to explain her side.”

“That’s all she’s asking for.” Steve leaves the room with no small feeling of elation. Vision’s well on his way to accepting his role in all of this, and Steve feels like there’s hope for the team despite everything.

He’ll fix it. He’s sure of it now.

-           -           -           -           -

FRIDAY lets him into the lab again without forcing him to ask for permission and Steve figures that his old security clearances are still active. How like Tony, claim that he doesn’t want to see Steve and yet practically rolling out the red carpet for him.

“What is all of this?” He hears Tony ask and for a moment he wonders if anyone else is down here with him. The brief moment of concern is gone the second that he hears Tony’s voice start leaking amusement, even though he’s trying to cover it up. There have only been two times that Steve has ever heard that tone with Tony, and they consist of when he’s talking to his Bots and when he would talk to him. “Why is all of this still here? I thought I asked for you to keep the workstation clean? No, no don’t try cleaning it up now. Dummy…Dummy what are you doing? No, put that down. Dummy don’t!” There’s a sound of clattering and what sounds like hundreds of tiny objects dropping. “Your fault.” Comes the almost playful retort. “You and Butterfingers saw it too, that was all you.”

Steve walks around the corner and leans against the frame. It’s always strange seeing Tony like this, when he doesn’t know that he has an audience. It’s like stepping behind the curtain and seeing the truth behind the Wizard. Gone is the one dimensional man who irritates Steve like nothing else, instead left behind is a marvel.

Tony is constantly in motion, eager and curious as he tinkers with his grand inventions. There’s an ease and a gracefulness to his movements, along with a softness and a playfulness that is so stunning to watch.

It’s moments like these that Tony reminds him the most of Howard. Not that Steve will ever tell him that though, because any mention of Steve’s old friend sends Tony into destructive fits from hell. Steve’s given up telling Tony how unfair it is to Steve that he can’t reminisce about a great man, since Tony seems determined to drag Howard down into the mud with him. It’s the part of Tony that Steve could definitely do without. Howard undoubtedly did the best he could, the man was a hero, and the least his son could do is smile and keep a stiff lip about the rest of it. Steve didn’t go around waving his father’s faults in front of everyone for his own validation. Then again, Steve comes from a better time when certain things were just understood to stay inside the home. You didn’t try to get other people’s pity, especially if you were probably at least half responsible for what occurred.

Tony is currently trying to assist Dummy in picking up the washers and bolts that it must have spilled. There’s a moment when Tony goes to lean over to pick something up when he sways and almost falls over. Dummy and Butterfingers are there in a second, catching their creator and supporting him while he seems to struggle to get his feet back under him. “Thanks guys.” He hears Tony say as they hold him until he stands on his own again. His hand goes back to rubbing the chest plaster as he seems to be focusing on taking deep breaths.

“I know I didn’t hit you that hard.” Tony spins around, brown eyes wide in surprise as Dummy rushes to place its robotic arm behind him so that he doesn’t fall over.

“Rogers? How the hell did you get down here?”

Steve inclines his head up to the ceiling with a small smile. “FRIDAY let me in.” He’s a little caught off guard by the angry look Tony sends at one of the cameras.

“FRIDAY?”

“Sorry Boss, you haven’t changed Mr. Roger’s access level. I am unable to deny him entrance currently.” If it were actually a woman, Steve would almost feel like she was annoyed by the fact that she had been unable to keep him out.

“I just wanted to talk.”

“I’m busy.” Is the quick, almost dismissive reply and Steve feels the smile widen into a playful grin.

“I can see that.” He looks down at the nuts and bolts chaos on the floor. “Very busy.”

“What do you want Rogers?”

“I talked to Vision earlier today.”

“And?”

“And he’s going to give Wanda a second chance.” Tony shrugs, a grimace coming to his face for a second before disappearing. “And I was hoping that I might coerce you out of here into the kitchen. When is the last time you ate?”

“A few hours ago, Pepper swung by right before a meeting.” Steve’s smile drops and Tony’s shoulder’s set.

“How is Miss Potts?”

“She’s great. Fantastic.” Steve nods slowly.

“Been spending a lot of time here with you?” Tony’s face closes off to him.

“So what if she has or hasn’t?”

“I think I have a right to know if my boyfriend is getting far too cozy with his ex.” Tony’s eyes widen for a second like Steve’s thrown him off guard, before he tosses his head back in laughter. He clutches at his chest with one hand as he turns in to lean against Dummy’s arm, letting the robot hold his weight as he shakes with the force of his amusement.

It takes him a few moments to get himself under control before he just looks at Steve with a look that Steve is hard pressed to call anything else than utter loathing. “That’s rich coming from _you_. Oh, and _now_ I’m your boyfriend? Fuck you Rogers. I’m not your anything. You and I are finished. If I want to go shack up with Pepper I’m sure as fucking hell going to go. At least with Pepper I know that I might actually _get_ something out of sex.”

“Maybe not all of us are about sex Tony.”

“You mean it’s alright to be receiving it, but the moment you might feel like reciprocating all of a sudden you have another one of your fucking ‘gay crisis’s’?”

“I told you it was hard for me.”

“And I told you we were over.”

“I don’t accept that.” Tony shook his head in bafflement.

“Well too fucking bad sunshine. That’s how the world works, you don’t always get what you want.”

Steve took a small step forward, hands clenching at his sides. “Well you seem to end up on top pretty well.” Tony rolled his eyes at Steve’s comment.

“Oh yeah Rogers, this is _exactly_ what I wanted. Oh how could you have ever possibly seen through my clever ruse? I just _completely adore_ being stuck in government meetings and lying my ass off. I just can’t think of any better thing to do with my day than have to work with my asshole ex who seems to think I owe him something.” Tony glances up at the ceiling again. “And for the record, FRIDAY remove Captain America’s authorizations.”

Steve takes another step forward, frustration curling up his spine. “You’re being childish Tony.” In direct response to his statement, Tony sticks his tongue out at him in a mocking manner. “I don’t understand why you won’t just talk to me? I’m trying to fix this, fix _us_. What are you doing? Besides moping around and taking cheap shots.”

“Boss? To what level would you like me to assign Mr. Rogers new access to?” FRIDAY’s question interrupts them for a moment as Tony turns around and starts scooping up bolts again.

“Put him at the same level as Wilson and Maximoff.”

“Done.” Tony says nothing to her confirmation and Steve shakes his head. This is getting beyond ridiculous.

“This ends now.” Steve snaps. “We’re talking about this.”

“It’s already ended Captain. There’s nothing to talk about.” Tony’s dismissive tone is like sandpaper.

“You want me to be the first to blink? Fine.” Steve crosses his arms. “I’m sorry Tony. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about certain things. I’m sorry that you feel like I’ve betrayed your trust in some way.” Tony gets wide eyed in a way that’s clearly for show as he puts a hand over his heart.

“You’re sorry? Well _thank you_ Steve. Thank you so much, I guess we can just put this whole thing behind us. Shall I get on my knees now or later?” Tony snorts as he looks away from Steve. “Go to hell Rogers. I don’t want a fucking half assed apology. If I did I would have been perfectly content with that patronizing bullshit letter.”

“I’ve apologized Tony, I’m trying to make it right.” Tony looks up at him and slowly shakes his head.

“No, you haven’t apologized Rogers. You’re not trying to make anything ‘right’ you’re trying to get what you want. You’ve insulted me, you’ve insulted my intelligence and like all other times you expect me to be the one to roll over and show my belly.” Tony puffs up a little and takes on a mocking higher pitch to his voice in a way that Steve guesses is him trying to emulate Steve. “Fine, you want me to give you perfectly worthless lip service? Well here it comes: I’m sorry Tony that you’re wrong and I’m still right and I think it’s high time you realized this and go back to kissing my ass.” He drops the tone. “Did I miss anything? I’m pretty sure I did a fair recreation of your ‘apology’? Notes? Suggestions?”

“What more do you want from me Tony? Tell me? Because I’m still trying to fight for us even if you can’t be bothered to.”

“You want to know what you can do?” Steve knows that he doesn’t want to hear what Tony is about to say but he nods regardless. “Get the hell out of my workshop.”

It obvious to see that things are only going to keep spiraling down from here so Steve pulls his head high and nods. He turns and walks out of the lab, and he’s not really surprised when he’s literally hit by the door on the way out.

“Have a good day Mr. Rogers.” Is all that FRIDAY needs to say to let Steve know it was completely intentional.

-           -           -           -           -

T’Challa arrives three days later.

Tony’s been avoiding them, instead allowing Rhodes and Vision to go downstairs to the lab to visit him. Wanda’s actually mentioned how it’s kind of nice, the silence and the freedom that Tony’s absence has allowed. Steve kind of agrees with her. Tony is everything that Steve isn’t really fond of this new generation mixed together with a familiar smile.

He does miss him though, he knows he does when each time the door opens he’s glancing up to see if it’s the man of the hour. It never is.

“Captain.” Is T’Challa’s greeting and Steve inclines his head to him. It’s always strange to see the other in a pricy looking suit other than the Black Panther armor.

“Your Majesty. What brings you by? Is everything okay?” There’s a moment of panic as a frown crosses T’Challa’s face.

“Calm yourself, nothing has gone wrong with your friend. He is still resting safely. I am here to transfer him to Mr. Stark’s facility.” Ice flows through Steve’s veins and it’s like crashing into the Atlantic again. Tony’s going after Bucky again. Didn’t he learn last time that Steve won’t allow that? Did he honestly think he was going to get away with it?

“Bucky isn’t going to Tony.”

T’Challa tilts his head. “Mr. Stark has agreed to allow his Neural Invention to be used to help remove the Hydra programing from your friend. I would have guessed that you would be thrilled.”

“You saw what Tony did to Bucky last time. We’re not just going to hand him over when he’s helpless against Tony’s assaults.”

“Mr. Stark has assured me that he intends no harm to Mr. Barnes.” Steve snorts but T’Challa presses on. “On top of that, Mr. Stark will not be the one ‘assaulting’ him. He has agreed to allow us the use of his equipment and technology in order to help. He will not be present for the procedure.” The elevator chooses to open at that moment and Tony steps out looking like a million dollars. Steve can’t see a spot where the plaster underneath the suit is visible and Tony moves like nothing is wrong with him.

“FRIDAY’s all set up for you. If you need anything just ask, she’ll arrange for it.” A Wakandan in a white lab coat comes forward and smiles at Tony.

“Good to see you again sir.”

“You too old buddy. Try not to break anything and know this: if one of the bots hands you anything that seems edible in any way- it is not. Consume at your own risk. And by risk I mean death.” Several other doctors start filing in and Steve sees the containment pod that’s housing Bucky. He turns to glance at Tony to see how the other is responding to the Winter Soldier in his house, but Tony seems content to look anywhere but the pod. “FRIDAY sent you all of the specs yes?”

The man nods. “We would not be here if we did not feel like we had a full understanding of the technology presented.”

“Good, okay well I’ve got things to do. You understand.” Tony turns on his heel and vanishes behind another set of doors. Steve catches the doctor’s arm to get his attention.

“What’s going on?”

“We are about to free your friend from his chain. We shall see you soon Captain.” They all disappear a few seconds later like the whole procession hadn’t been there in the first place.

They’re going to help Bucky. They’re going to free him from Hydra’s control. Steve feels a smile cross his face. This is amazing. This is just the kind of news that he needed to hear. He turns and goes through the same door that he saw Tony go through just a few minutes ago and he sees him rummaging through the cabinets.

“You’re a cruel, cruel taskmaster FRIDAY.”

“Sorry Boss.” The AI’s voice doesn’t sound sorry in the least. “Miss Potts has already taken the liberty of emptying out the cupboards.” Tony lets out a wounded sigh. “And Mr. Rogers is behind you.” Tony turns around, before shaking his head and starting towards one of the other rooms.

“Yeah, no. I’m not dealing with you right now.”

“Thank you Tony.” Tony shakes his head at Steve’s smile.

“No, don’t even start to think that this is for you.”

“Who else? You hate Bucky and yet you’re helping him. You’re doing it for me, I know you are and I’m grateful.”

“Listen here you-” Tony cuts himself off, taking a deep breath. “I’m not doing this for you. I need a way to prove that if one of the Avengers falls in battle to some form of mind control that we have a way to restore them.”

The smile falls a little from his face as the words set in. “Wait…you’re using Bucky as a test subject?” Rage starts to light up inside him. “Like he hasn’t already gotten enough of that? Damn it Tony.” The granite countertop cracks from the force of his hand landing on it. Tony barely flinches.

“Yeah, I’m potentially giving him back his mind and anyone else who might get brainwashed in the future but sure Rogers, yeah cast me as the Hydra sympathizer in your little play.”

“Bucky’s not a lab rat for you to poke at.”

“Actually he is when he volunteers for it.” That catches Steve a little off guard.

“What?”

Tony lets out a caustic laugh. “Oh, let me guess. Surprised that I have a strong belief in consent? You know it’s just fascinating to me how little you think of me.” Tony shakes his head. “Barnes was temporarily defrosted in order to be made aware of the opportunity. He agreed and signed a whole bunch of paperwork to prove it. Now here we are.” Steve lets the statement and the information sit for a few moments before he tries to engage with Tony again, now that his frustration was more manageable.

“I don’t think little of you.” Tony stares at him like he’s grown an extra head.

“Bullshit Rogers.” He snaps. “Every time I turn around it’s another ‘what have you done now Tony?’, ‘what did you screw up this time Tony?’, ‘what did you break this time Tony?’ ever realize how when things go bad I’m always the first one you throw under the bus?”

Steve shakes his head. “Most of the time it is your fault.”

“No it isn’t, I’m just the one expected to fix it.”

“Ultron would beg to differ.” Tony flinches back as if he’s been slapped and he shakes his head.

“You’re an ass Rogers. And I’m done defending myself to you. I’ve already learned the hard way that it’s an exercise in futility.”

“I’m here trying to thank you for Bucky, you’re the one turning it into a fight.” Tony shrugs.

“Maybe so.” Is his only answer as he moves around the broken island and starts towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

“I have work to do. According to their estimations the procedure should be done in about three hours. I’m saying give it six just to be on the safe side.”

“Can he stay here?” Tony’s retreating back freezes, like this is the first time that the thought of ‘what happens next for Bucky’ crosses his mind. “Bucky would make an amazing addition to the Avengers. You’ve seen what he can do.”

Tony’s voice is thick when he speaks. “Yes Rogers, I’ve seen firsthand what he can do.” Steve knows the thought that has crossed Tony’s mind and his only response is: That wasn’t Bucky. He manages to keep it to himself, barely. Last thing he wants is Tony on a useless tirade. “If you wish to add another member you know the drill. There’s a meeting on Saturday, bring it up there and we’ll vote.”

“What about until then? Saturday’s four days away, what is Bucky supposed to do until then?”

There’s a pause, and it looks like it’s weighing on Tony for reasons unknown. “There’s a private pool and a theater room. I’m sure he’ll figure something out.”

“Thank you Tony.” Tony doesn’t say anything to him, just walks out the door without looking back.

He doesn’t really need to though, he’s just given Steve the best gift he could have ever possibly given him. Bucky is coming back to him, fully. On top of that he’s going to be an Avenger and stay with Steve. He can’t wait to introduce him to all of the things that Tony showed him about this new generation.

Steve lets the smile grace his face, and his step is lighter.

He may have already lost so much, but at least he’s going to have his best two guys with him now. Sam is going to love Bucky once they get past whatever hang up the two of them have. Maybe Bucky will have some advice for how Steve should handle Tony. Bucky was always good with the ladies, always getting in and out of trouble. Most of the time though it was actually Bucky’s fault, so perhaps he’ll have some good pieces of wisdom to pass on.

Steve can’t help the feeling of elation at the realization that he’s managed almost everything he’s set out to do. The Accords are in the dust and Bucky is going to be returned to him soon. He’ll fix Tony’s problem soon enough and then everything will be completely perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony isn’t off in his estimation.

The process takes almost a full six hours before the doctors’ start filing out of the lab and permit Steve to come down and see his friend. Steve hasn’t felt this combination of nervousness and excitement since he first saw Bucky again after the SHIELD/Hydra incident. Bucky notices him the moment he comes through the door and gives him a smile that warms Steve’s heart. There’s a life in Bucky’s eyes that Steve didn’t even fully realize was missing, and so to see it now is just breathtaking.

“Bucky…” It’s not much louder than a whisper but the other super soldier hears him, of course he does, and slowly pushes himself off the chair to come over to Steve. Steve’s not too sure when he started shaking, but Bucky reaches out and pulls him to himself with his one arm.

Silently, Steve curses out Tony for ruining this moment. Bucky can’t wrap him up in his arms like he used to before because Tony took that from him. In his misguided rage, he hurt someone undeserving of any of it. Steve knows in the end it’s all going to be alright, because even with one arm Bucky’s grip is sure and as steadying as ever.

“I’m free Stevie…I’m free.” Bucky’s voice holds a note of disbelieving wonderment in it and Steve rushes to assure him that this isn’t just some dream that’s going to slip from him with a few measly words.

“You’re back…I’ve got you Bucky…I’ve got you…” Their tearful reunion is cut short by a loud grumble and both of them pull away to look at Bucky’s stomach surprised. “…So…pizza?” Steve asks, amusement curling up his spine as Bucky gets an embarrassed flush.

“Shut it.” He growls and Steve couldn’t stop the laugh that leaves him even if he tried.

Turns out, he doesn’t want to stop it anyways.

-           -           -           -           -

After they’ve decimated the leftover pizza in the fridge, Bucky and Steve just sit in silence for a few minutes. It’s surreal to have Bucky here finally, close enough to touch and to know that he’s not going anywhere. A little more literally than he would like since apparently Bucky doesn’t have Tony’s ‘Authorization’ to leave the Avengers Compound like Wanda, but Steve reminds himself that it’s only temporary. Once they’ve finished proving that Bucky is Bucky again, they’ll have no reason to hold him here and Steve will be able to take him out and introduce him to the world.

“What’cha thinking punk?” Bucky’s question shakes him out of his plans and he gives him a smile.

“I’m thinking Coney Island’s still there. We could go when you get let out of here.”

Bucky doesn’t respond, choosing instead to pick at a frayed seam on his pants and Steve reaches out to place a hand on his arm. “Everything okay?”

“It’s just…weird ya know?” Steve nods, yeah he knows. Bucky might have been in and out of Cryo but the world still changed around them and they…didn’t. Not really.

“Things are going to get better. I promise Bucky. And I’ll be here with you, till the end of the line remember?” Bucky nods.

“I just…I didn’t expect to be fixed so soon.” He starts and Steve settles in to listen. “Things are still…I had hoped that there would have been time to…I don’t know…soothe over some wounds.” He tugs a little harder and the string snaps. “And to know that he helped me…he helped _me_ …”

“It was the right thing to do. Tony’s not very good at that most of the time, but every now and then he can have a moment.”

Bucky shook his head, that haunted look returning to his eyes for the first time since Steve’s seen him post-surgery and Steve wants to wrap him up and protect him from anything resembling Tony Stark. “I killed his parents Steve…I killed Howard…”

“That wasn’t you, and it wasn’t fair for Tony to blame you for it.”

“I killed his _parents_ Steve, he had to stand there and _watch_ me do it. A lesser man would have killed me.”

Steve felt a frown cross his face. “Bucky…he tried to kill you.”

“No he didn’t. If he had wanted me dead Steve, I’d have been dead. He wanted to hurt me yes, he wanted to hurt you a little too I think. But he never wanted to kill either of us.”

“That’s not how I remember it, he took your arm Buck. He was out of control. He wasn’t going to stop until you were dead.”

Bucky glanced up, his face reminding Steve far too much of the Winter Soldier- the guy who was supposed to be gone now. “He didn’t want to kill us Steve. I know a killer’s eyes and they weren’t his.”

“Did a good job of acting like it then.”

They fell into silence, it wasn’t as companionable as Steve would have hoped it would be. It felt heavy, like Bucky was holding onto a weight that Steve didn’t know how to take from him. “I’d thank him, but I don’t think he’d take it well.”

“Who? Tony?” At Bucky’s nod he shook his head. “Yeah, not a good idea.” Steve could just imagine Tony’s reaction at seeing Bucky actually up and moving around. As far as apologies went, Tony giving Steve Bucky back was amazing…but parading him around in front of Tony right now seemed like a bad idea. Maybe wait till Saturday at the meeting or something when there’d be more people there and more eyes on him. “Oh! Thinking of that…the rest of the Avengers are coming on Saturday to vote about you joining us.”

Steve imagined that Bucky would be thrilled, or at least half as thrilled as Steve was by the prospect, but instead Bucky’s face cringed like he’d bit down on a lemon. “What? What is it?”

“Do you think that’s a good idea? I’m not exactly hero material.”

“Trust me when I say you don’t need to be hero material, I mean we have Tony on the team.” His lips quirked into a smile at the joke and Bucky seemed hesitant to match it. “You’ll be a natural, and it’ll help. It’ll be like old times, with the Commandos and us.”

“Just not like old times at all.” Steve waved the concern off.

“They’re a strange bunch, I mean Bruce and Thor are freaky enough before you get to know them. They’re pretty harmless. And there’s Clint, you met him remember?”

“The archer?”

“Yeah, that’s him. He’s with his family right now, catching up with them but he’ll be back soon. Then of course there’s Natasha. We don’t really know where she is right now, but I’m sure she’s fine. She’ll be back.”

“She’s tough.”

“Yeah, she is. So I’ve learned not to worry too much about her. Not much the Black Widow can’t handle.” He got a big grin. “There’s Falcon, or Sam.”

“Put me in the back seat?” Steve couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him at the amused look on Bucky’s face when he remembered the other man.

“Yeah, that’s him.” Leave it to Sam to make a lasting impression on the world’s greatest ex-assassin by forcing him into the backseat of a Volkswagen Bug. “There’s the others you met: Wanda and Scott.”

“Are they here?”

“Wanda’s on lockdown, but Scott went home.”

“Why’s she on lockdown?” Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Honestly? Not a clue at this point. Tony’s throwing so many conflicting signals that I’m getting dizzy trying to sort them all out.”

Bucky tilted his head a little. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just hard to get a beat on him you know? One moment he says he’s helping you, next moment he’s the biggest problem you have. Then he says he’s not sorry, but turns around and does a grand apology for his mistakes.” Steve glanced at Bucky, silently implying the reason why Tony healed him. “I don’t ever fully know where I stand with him because it’s like he’s always changing the rules. Always pulling the rug out and then somehow getting out of it. It’s a little tiring.”

“Are you good friends?” Steve paused, feeling uncomfortable as Bucky’s eyes widened. There was silence before he spoke again. “Are you serious? You and Stark?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Bucky got a grin.

“Really? Then why do you look like you just got caught by Sister Agnes?”

“I do not!”

“Your ears are all red Stevie.” Steve feels a grin pull at the corners of his mouth that matches Bucky’s. It feels like old times again, something untouched by Hydra.

“It’s…It’s complicated, I guess. That’s Tony’s favorite way to describe it.” Steve feels the elation die down a little as a heavy feeling settles in his stomach. “I’m surprised how well you’re taking this.”

“What?”

“That Tony and I are…you know…together like that.” Bucky gave him an amused look.

“That’s not exactly a new thing Stevie.” That doesn’t really help and Bucky seems to register it. “Remember Reggie down on sixth?” He offers and Steve frowned.

“What? No, he wasn’t like that, he was with Abby.”

“Steve…come on man you weren’t that naïve were you?” He seems to catch on that Steve honestly has no idea what he’s talking about. “Abby was his _cousin_. She came down for a visit and then when she left everyone thought that she was his gal so he just went along with it.”

“Wow…that’s…” Steve shakes his head. He had no idea. He pauses when a random though hits him. “Wait, how did you know? You weren’t all that close to Reggie.” The arched eyebrow that Bucky gives him makes him blush. “What!” Bucky does a shrug, or what Steve would assume was a shrug with the nub arm.

“Not something that was really safe to talk about back then.”

“But…you had all the dames chasing you.”

“Yeah, but it never felt right. I knew what I was, but it just wasn’t the time for that. Wasn’t really sure there’d ever be a time for that. It’s nice to know we’re almost there.” Steve sat in the chair, flabbergasted for a little while before Bucky attempted to revive the conversation. “So, you and Stark hooked up after…all of that? Color me surprised.”

“What? Oh, no…we haven’t really…talked about all of that. We’ve been… _together_ ” Steve feels like the word is dragged out of him. “for a while now.”

Bucky’s smile drops off of his face and it makes Steve go to reach out for him. “You okay?”

“Wait, Stark and you were together during that whole fuck up in Siberia?” Steve nodded and he watched Bucky’s fist clench. “You were together and you didn’t tell him? About me?”

“I didn’t want to bring up painful memories for him. Besides, he doesn’t like talking about his mom and trying to talk about Howard is like pulling teeth. There was no time for it to come out.”

“Steve…Were you together during the airport fight? After you came to get me, were you two together?” Steve nodded, not a hundred percent sure where this was going. “What about that dame? The one you were all over?”

“Sharon?” At Bucky’s curt nod Steve gets a small grin. “Yeah, she’s pretty swell isn’t she? She’s Peggy’s niece.” To Steve’s surprise, Bucky doesn’t look like he wants to start swapping stories.

“Were you with Tony when you were kissing her?” Steve lets the smile drop a little.

“Oh…kind of I guess. I mean, Tony and I have been having problems. And Tony’s not exactly someone who you can expect to be faithful to you…he has a reputation if you know what I mean.”

“I don’t care about his reputation Steve.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure there’ve been _hundreds_ on Tony’s side.” Bucky’s frown doesn’t lift at the information.

“Does he know? About ‘Sharon’?”

Any answer Steve was going to give is interrupted by the doors opening and one of the doctors coming back in.

“Mr. Barnes? If we might do that checkup?” He lets out a sigh and stands.

“May I come?” Steve asks and the other person shrugs.

“If Mr. Barnes doesn’t mind you there, I see no reason why not.”

-           -           -           -           -

Tony’s down in the lab this time when they arrive. Steve stands up straight and puts himself between Tony and Bucky just as a silent warning to the engineer. Tony gets his not so subtle message when he glances up and rolls his eyes at Steve’s actions. Helen Cho is there, her hair pulled back in its customary bun. She pulls Tony’s attention back to her with a gentle hand on his arm. They’re speaking in hushed tones, and Tony gives her a small almost playful smile which causes her to shake her head while trying to hide a grin. Steve shoots Bucky a look like ‘told you so’ as he watches Tony flirt with the doctor barely ten feet from him.

Bucky doesn’t look happy with Tony, his jaw clenching and the frown on his face that he used to get whenever a pretty dame that he’d brought for Steve ignored or abandoned him. Steve feels a small rush of fondness for Bucky and is glad that he hasn’t lost that side of him to Hydra, the side that always looks out for Steve’s best interests.

Tony gives a parting smile to Helen, it’s reminiscent of his ‘I’ve just won this fight’ smile and Helen turns and starts typing away on one of the computers while Tony comes over. He approaches Bucky, and Steve can tell there’s a tremor in his steps. His coloring looks a little off the closer he gets to the ex-assassin and Steve is immediately worried that Tony will do something stupid after all of this.

He glances around at the doctors, noticing T’Challa for the first time amongst their ranks, to see if they’re able or willing to step in to stop Tony. T’Challa’s eyes seem to be measuring each step Tony takes, dark eyes calculating as he watches the billionaire approach.

“They tell me the synapses in your arm are firing incorrectly. You can wait till we get another biomechanical engineer out here to look at it or I could take a quick glance.” Tony’s voice seems strained, just barely noticeable under his calm, almost flippant tone. Bucky glances at Steve and Steve does a brief shake of his head no. Letting Tony look at the damage he’s done is one thing, but letting him put his hands on it? Letting him get a feel for how it comes together or how it works and he’ll break it apart the next time he gets a chance. Or worse, he’ll do something that seems inconsequential and then it’ll come back and hurt Bucky later. Tony would probably claim it was an accident, or worse that he didn’t really do anything and that they had no proof.

“If it’s alright with you. I’ll wait.” Comes Bucky’s reply and Tony’s jaw clenches as he nods once. It’s a jerky movement and not at all like Tony’s usual cocky gracefulness. To Steve it just proves his fears, that Tony’s upset he got foiled in his plans. Did he really think it’d be that easy? Tony sends a quick glance to T’Challa.

“I tried.” Is his comment, like they had a conversation about this before and now Tony’s cleaning his hands of it. The Wakandan king nods once and Tony immediately departs the area. Steve glances at T’Challa for an answer but as usual the king only answers questions he feels like answering.

“What are all these scans for?” Steve asks Helen after a few minutes and she taps at the computer screen.

“We need to be able to prove the effectiveness of the treatment. The dark areas, the damaged areas are showing repair right now. However, we need to be sure that this is a permanent change and not a temporary one. We’ll need to take scans every six hours for the first three days. Then we can start branching out and taking them less frequently.”

“That seems a little extreme.”

“It’s paperwork Mr. Rogers. We have to be thorough or no one will believe that the process works. If we’re not completely transparent about the results, it could hurt us in the long run.” Steve nods once, since he is aware that Tony claimed this was being pitched to the UN as a backup against mind control like what’s happened to Bucky and Clint.

“Thank you Ma’am for flying out here and doing this.” She doesn’t turn to look at him as she continues her work.

“I didn’t fly from Tokyo. I’ve been in the states for the last few weeks.”

“What? Why?”

“I’ve been monitoring Mr. Stark’s recovery.”

“Tony’s recovering?” This feels like news to him, and his mind thinks of the chest cast. Did Tony get hurt on his way back to the Avengers Compound? Did he hurt himself at some point in time after their fight?

“I’m sorry…I thought you knew.”

Steve shakes his head. “No Ma’am, what happened?” She frowns lightly, looking down onto her computer tablet in her hands. She types through a few screens before closing it up and going back to her task before.

“I’m sorry, I thought Mr. Stark informed you. I am not at liberty to discuss any medical treatments with you.”

“If Iron Man is injured, I need to know about it.”

“You’ll have to ask Mr. Stark. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She walks around him and starts talking off with some of the doctors in the background.

“Captain.” T’Challa’s sudden greeting in his ear makes him almost want to jump. The man is like the cat that his nation worships, silent and deadly.

“Your Majesty.” T’Challa glances at Barnes.

“Sergeant.” Bucky did a minute nod in response. “It seems that I’ll be putting in for someone to come take a better look at your arm. I had hoped to have Mr. Stark look at it, but no matter. I’ll send for someone immediately.”

“Thank you sir.” Steve offered up for both of them and T’Challa inclines his head.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Going back to Wakanda?” Steve asked and T’Challa shook his head.

“It is pointless to return to my country only to make this trek again so shortly.” It took Steve a moment to remember.

“Oh, that’s right. You’re an Avenger now aren’t you?” Steve almost wants to say something biting to Tony about how apparently _Tony_ can add new members at will but Steve can’t. T’Challa nods once.

“This is still much to be done on the Accords.” Steve bristles at the mere mention of the word. “I believe my time would be better spent remaining here until the meeting and discussing potential ratifications and changes to the initial charter.” Steve nods, that makes sense after all.

“Okay, I can do that. If you can wait a few hours though? I’d like to get Bucky settled into a room first.” T’Challa tilts his head like he doesn’t fully understand what Steve is saying to him. It takes a moment before dark brown eyes widen lightly in understanding.

“My apologies Captain. I meant that I wished to go over the Accords before we started pitching them again to the Avengers at the meeting. I’m more than happy to allow you a copy of the ideas that we come up with, but alas we have yet to sit down and fully discuss the desired changes.” Steve feels a moment of confusion, but T’Challa continues. “I hope that Mr. Stark and I are able to draw up an acceptable outline for the new Avengers Accords over dinner tonight.”

Steve feels a little like he’s been passed over. T’Challa doesn’t want to speak to him about the Accords and the new direction that they should be taking. He wants to talk it over with Tony. Tony who has no understanding of what he’s doing, didn’t they all learn the last time Tony penned up the Accords? “If I might say, Tony might not be the best decision when it comes to deciding groundwork for the new legislation. I mean we’ve already disagreed with his previous attempts.”

“The Sokovia Accords were not Mr. Stark’s brainchild, they were my father’s. And as you mentioned before, your apparent disregard for the need of the Accords” Steve’s shoulders went back and T’Challa held up a hand. “My apologies yet again, your ‘disagreement’ with the Accords” It’s clear in his body language and posture that he doesn’t mean the recant. “Makes you unsuitable for this stage.”

“Is that what Tony said?”

“That is what _I_ believe Captain, not everything is about Mr. Stark.” _Try telling Tony that_ is the thought that crosses Steve’s mind, but he opts not to lead with it. “We are getting together tonight with a few other individuals to discuss the changes needed.”

“Due to my, and the Avengers, ‘disagreement’ with the Accords- shouldn’t the _Leader_ of the Avengers be present at the creation of the next generation of them?” T’Challa pauses and Steve knows he’s tripped him up. The King nods.

“Of course, you are correct. The Leader should undoubtedly be there. I guess if you are busy tonight how about Friday? We can go over the changes before the meeting. Perhaps you should come with some of your issues with the first Accords. It would help find a starting place don’t you think?” Steve nods and accepts T’Challa’s friendly smile and handshake. “Till I see you again Captain.” He inclines his head again to Bucky. “Sergeant.” Bucky once again mimics the motion as the King leaves the area.

Steve lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair. This is going to be complicated. He looks at Bucky who is watching him with that silent gaze. “Any way I can convince you to look over the old Accords with me? After we get you settled in?” Bucky nods and Steve offers him a hand to get his balance when he stands.

“I’m not very good with all of that.” Bucky warns and Steve smiles.

“It’ll still be nice to have someone there. Someone I trust.” Bucky gets a small smile and follows Steve back to the elevator.

Steve settles him into the room right next to his. Tony’s room is across the hall and Steve almost wants to knock on the door and offer for Tony to sit in while Bucky and Steve fix the Accords. He remembers Tony’s reaction to Bucky earlier though and opts against it. Bucky glances at the door across from them, following Steve’s eyes and sends a mildly disappointed look towards Tony’s door.

It takes a second for them to get settled, and even longer for Steve to even _find_ the old copy of the Accords. The one that Ross gave them when he came. He comes over and drops it on the table with a resounding smack. It’s strangely satisfying, and it even makes Bucky arch an eyebrow at him which Steve will call a win. “Let’s get this over with.” Bucky reaches out and tugs it open.

“This looks new.” He comments and Steve nods.

“Yeah, we’d just gotten that copy when Peggy’s funeral happened.”

“So you haven’t looked at it?” Steve shakes his head.

“No, not yet.”

“Then how do you know you don’t agree with it?” Steve frowns.

“Did you see what the Accords let people like Tony and Ross do? They locked you up, put you on display. They locked up Wanda like she was some psycho terrorist, and they put Clint and Sam in there too. I don’t need to know the fancy words to know that this was only created to control us.” Bucky hums and struggles a little to flip through the pages.

“You know what I don’t get?” He asks after a few minutes and Steve shakes his head. “Why are you even with Stark? You clearly don’t like him.” Steve bites his lip.

“It’s…complicated Bucky. I told you that.” Bucky pushes the Accords away from him gently.

“Then uncomplicated it.” He orders. “You don’t trust Stark, how can you be in a relationship with him? Especially when he… _whores_ around in front of you with everyone?”

“Tony…he’s…” Steve pauses as he tries to get his point across. “Tony has a lot of problems, I mean most of them he causes himself, but still- a lot of problems.” Steve glances at the door. “But there are times, when he’s…when he’s not that bad. He can be thoughtful when he wants to be, and he can be sweet. Most of the time it’s because he wants something.” Steve shakes his head. “He needs a lot of work, but I think that there’s something there. Underneath all of that…well for lack of a better word ‘armor’” Steve gets a small grin at his joke. “Tony has potential. He has so much potential. There are times though, that I just want to strangle him.” Bucky nods, “and sometimes I wish he would just listen to me and do what I tell him to do. Things could be perfect you know? If Tony could just get out of his own way.” Steve sighs and slumps in his seat. “But when you love someone you have to have patience. He tries mine every day, sometimes I like it.” Steve gets a little blush at Bucky’s arched eyebrow. “But sometimes I wish it didn’t always have to come to that.”

“He’s not like Howard at all, I thought he might be. Kind of threw me off.” Bucky observes and Steve frowns at the comment.

“Really? I see Howard in him sometimes. When he’s in the shop creating, remember how stupid Howard would get when he got something new to poke at and play with?” Steve gets a small smile as he chuckles at fond memories. “Remember the first time he got that Tesseract ammo?” It takes Bucky a few seconds, but Steve can see the moment he’s able to pull forth the memory.

“He blew up half of the science division.” Steve grins.

“Or the flying car? Remember that? I thought for sure that they’d have flying cars by now.”

“I’m surprised you remember the car…you just disappeared, left us all to go try and enlist again.”

“I still thought it was pretty swell.” Steve smiles at the memory of the fair. Everything had seemed so crazy and so futuristic back then. Howards dreaming’s and designs weren’t even close to the actual future, and Steve wishes that he had been around a little longer to see Steve return and the start of the Avengers. “He would have loved the Avengers Initiative.” Steve says after a few moments and Bucky snorts.

“He would have loved the opportunity to put us in ridiculous costumes.” Steve laughs a little at that. Yeah, Howard would have had a blast with that. Steve reaches for the Accords again.

“Well, let’s get this over with.”

-           -           -           -           -

Bucky crashes barely two hours later and Steve tucks the notes under his arm as he exits the room. He starts towards his before pausing and moving over to Tony’s door. He knocks a few times but receives no answer. Looking at his watch he wonders if Tony’s still down in the shop.

“FRIDAY?” He asks and the AI instantly responds.

“Yes Mr. Rogers.”

“Is Tony down in the shop?”

“Mr. Stark is not at the compound currently Mr. Rogers.” Steve frowns.

“Where is he?” There’s a pause before the AI replies.

“Mr. Stark is out at a business meeting.”

“This late?”

“Yes sir.” Steve can feel that there is something that the AI isn’t telling him. Something that it’s hiding.

“Is it a business meeting for Stark Industries?”

“No Sir.”

“Do I still have access to Tony’s itinerary?”

“All of the Avengers have the ability to access Mr. Stark’s schedule.” Steve remembers the reason why Tony set that up, so that he could prove without a shadow of a doubt that he was actually at business events when he was skipping out on team building exercises and Fury’s meetings.

“What meeting is he in?”

“The Accords meeting Sir.” Steve pauses, what Accords meeting? The one with T’Challa was cancelled because Steve stepped up to take over.

“FRIDAY, is the Black Panther in the meeting with Tony?”

“Yes Sir.” Steve feels a rush of anger flow through him.

“I see, FRIDAY can you alert me when they get back?”

“Yes Sir.” Steve walks back to his door and calmly goes inside.

He’s doing his best to not assume anything, but he can only see one of two possible scenarios here. One: T’Challa informed Tony of Steve’s intention to work on the Accords with him and somehow managed to coerce the young king into going with him instead of with Steve. If that was the truth then there were going to be problems between Tony and Steve. Because that showed that Tony was refusing to relinquish control of the power that he’d been improperly assigned during the time Tony’s mess with the Accords stripped Steve of that title.

Two: T’Challa intentionally mislead Steve and went out with Tony anyways. Whether Tony knew in this case the conversation between Steve and T’Challa would remain unknown. Not that it would matter because that meant that the king was attempting to insult and move around Steve and the Avengers. Like his father had before him, he was trying to get past the protection that Steve offered.

Steve wouldn’t be surprised really. T’Challa had already informed him that he’d only taken Steve and the Avengers in because of the debt that he owed to Bucky. Steve however had always felt that the man’s calm and kind regard of him was a front. T’Challa had always made Steve think of Pepper, and the look and tone she would get whenever she was dealing with the Avengers when she didn’t want to be.

So if T’Challa was making a play to weaken the Avengers again during this turbulent time, naturally his first target would be Tony. Make Tony believe that he valued his input, make him believe in the changes that T’Challa wanted to make. Steve wasn’t sure he could handle another ‘Civil War’, and he wasn’t going to allow anyone to try to make one.

He was just going to have to wait for Tony to get back to determine what was his next course of action.


	4. Chapter 4

**T’Challa**

If he had to choose one of the lessons that his father imparted on him, one that he appreciated most frequently and had served him the most over all of these years- not to mention the help it was going to offer in all the years to come- he’d have to choose ‘patience’. It of course had not been an easily won battle for his father, for when he was younger he did not see the need behind such a talent.

Many years later, he experienced his fair share of frustrating scenarios and situations. He had been sorely disappointed with himself, letting the rage of his father’s murder eat at his insides until he had turned into nothing more than a mindless warrior bent on revenge. With his actions he had sullied his father's honor as well as his own when he put on the Black Panther armor and used it selfishly and for his own personal gain. This was something that he had eventually made amends for, with the capture of Zemo and the protection of Mr. Barnes and his associates.

Truth be told, he had always been a little more curious of the Avengers than his father had been. How could he not? Tony Stark’s PR firm hailed them as heroes. Painted them as guardians of the weak and as champions of this world. He would not lie and say that he had not been interested to see how they would measure up in real life.

He had heard somewhere, in his various diplomatic travels, that you should never meet your heroes. In Wakanda, such a saying had almost little to no meaning. He’d met many a fine warrior, learned from their lives and had accepted the wisdom that they had sought to teach to the next generation. When he had allowed the Avengers to reside in Wakanda, he had been curious as to what lessons he might learn from them. For the first time, he understood in a way he could not before, the wisdom of that statement. He had expected warriors, but there had been none to be found in the ragtag group of individuals that he had granted asylum to. He’d listened to them in secret, shirk the consequences of their own actions day after day. He had heard them drag a fellow warrior out to be lynched between them in their private meetings. He’d also heard a concerning amount of vehement hatred for a man who was not there to defend himself to them, and listened to scenarios uttered by the ‘heroes’ of the violent reparations they longed to make the man pay. All of these comments were met with laughter, or the promise to assist should one of them ever get the courage to act on such a thing. These were not the behaviors of heroes, but worst of all was the Captain himself. A leader should never allow for that to occur under their command, let alone be in the room laughing along with them.

This was the man that everyone idolized after years of positive, and profitable, propaganda. This was the man who claimed that oversight was unnecessary because they would hold themselves accountable. T’Challa had never been more disgusted in his life. Even more so when he had gone out to meet again with the man that they would paint so easily as the villain in their own stories.

Tony Stark had changed a lot since the last time they had met. Granted, decades of time between meetings tends to do that. The first time they had crossed paths, Tony had been sixteen and full of adolescent fire against his father. T’Challa at the time had barely been thirteen and had been taken along with his father to the Stark Expo event to see the potential future that the progenitor of the Stark household wished to make a reality.

T’Challa had been left at his designated table seat as many government officials from various countries vied for his father’s time and attention. While he did not resent his father for being otherwise occupied, he had been beyond bored, hoping for a swift end to the event when Tony had slipped under one of his bodyguard’s arms and stole the seat next to him.

“Keeping you locked up at the kiddie table? That sucks.” He’d reached out and taken a bread roll from the center of the table, smearing an unholy amount of butter on it before taking a large bite. “So…super genius, billionaire’s kid or senators’ brat?” He asked and T’Challa shook his head. This was a highly unusual scenario and at the time one that he did not know how to handle, as most of the individuals who sought to interact with T’Challa either wanted to do so to get to his father or were other members of the royal court. It was rare that someone wished to speak with T’Challa himself, and it was completely unheard of for it to be so informal.

“This is Prince T’Challa of Wakanda.” Came the obligatory answer for him from one of his guards before he could say anything and Tony whistled is if impressed as he took another bite.

“Prince huh? Sounds boring, you know what else is boring?” T’Challa shook his head. “This table. Seriously, they’ve got you in the corner. Hasn’t anyone ever told you ‘Nobody puts Baby in the corner’? This is unacceptable.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice as if imparting a secret on him. “Look, my dad- Howard” He pointed to the man occupying his father’s time. “Is an ass, and he wouldn’t let me bring Rhodey along with me to keep me entertained and it looks to me that you and I are the only ones here with a lick of sense. So naturally this means we’re going to be great friends.” He held out a hand for him. “Tony Stark.” T’Challa stared at it for a second, before hearing Tony whisper “You’re supposed to shake it.” He’d felt momentarily embarrassed by the cultural snafu before shaking Tony’s hand. “Come on, we’re going to look around.”

“That would be unadvisable.” Tony glanced at the bodyguard who kept answering for him before glancing back at T’Challa.

“Um…I don’t mean to come off…well like an American but…do you speak English? Do you speak at all? I mean you do right?”

“I speak English.”

“Good, because between the two of us- my French and Spanish suck and I should probably learn ASL but haven’t had the time.” He stood, motioning for T’Challa to follow him. “Come on.”

“You should ask your father for permission.” It was clear to T’Challa that the guards meant to dissuade Tony from his current mission. Tony got a face before nodding.

“Of course he should. Like a rational adult. You’re right, great plan. Which one is your dad? Let’s go ask him.” Of course, at that time none of them could know that the last thought on Tony’s mind had been to ask either of their fathers for permission. Instead, Tony had grabbed his hand and took off running- yanking them between people and through exhibits. They had only stopped once the two of them needed to catch their breath. For a moment, T’Challa had been unsure if he had made a horrible decision to allow this strange teenager to drag him away from the safety of his bodyguards. He wondered if Tony was about to attempt something untoward to him, which would have been a mistake because he had been trained since he could walk, but instead of attacking him, Tony just smiled. “Sorry, they were being buzzkills. But no one knows the Expo layout like I do, so I’m pretty sure we lost them. Come on, I promised you a tour, let’s go do it.” T’Challa had paused for a brief moment before deciding to go along with whatever the other boy had in mind. The said ‘Tony Stark Approved’ tour had included his first sip of whiskey (something he would _never_ try again), temporary larceny of a couple of golf carts that Tony had gotten to go beyond the allotted five miles an hour with a few adjustments to wires (the resulting game of go cart was interrupted when Tony managed to flip his over onto its side and they ran off laughing from the scene of the crime) and impromptu fireworks that Howard later claimed were always part of the show. His father had been so disappointed in him when they had been rounded up again, leading him back towards the car. T’Challa had spared one final look at his friend for the night, and hadn’t been too surprised to see Tony send him a wink as he was lead off with a firm grip on the back of his neck by Howard himself.

He’d only seen him on television and from afar as the years passed, and Tony Stark became the media coined ‘Merchant of Death’. Then came Afghanistan and the first images of Iron Man. It wasn’t long before he was joined by his group of Avengers and everything came to a head with Sokovia. They didn’t speak during their time with Ross, and T’Challa had watched as Tony had maneuvered everyone into agreeing with his plans for Avenger retrieval. At the time, T’Challa had been blinded by his own motivations to understand or give any credence to Tony’s. Why Tony allowed himself to be owned and played by Ross in order to protect the wayward Avengers had only annoyed and confused T’Challa. It had however allowed him to see through Tony when he’d left the RAFT to go after the two Super Soldiers.

If T’Challa had known at the time the state that Rogers had left Tony in, he would have never left Siberia without him. However, the good Captain had assured him that Tony was fine and was just ‘cooling off’, so they had gone. It wouldn’t be till later when T’Challa arrived at the Compound that he would learn the true extent of the damage done to the other man.

Laughter brought him out of the old memories, and T’Challa lifted the glass to his lips to hide the grin as Tony and Colonel Rhodes continued to give a crazy retelling of one of their youthful misadventures. Charles Xavier, professor to a school of mutants and a man vouched for by Ororo, smiled along with them. The dinner had been a good choice to discuss the overall outline for the Avengers Accords, as it allowed Tony to finally step outside of the Compound for his first time in weeks, and have a moment of fresh air. His doctor, Doctor Cho, had almost not permitted him to go. Expressing her concern over the possible strenuous activity, but somehow Tony had managed to get her approval. Miss Van Dyne seemed to be attempting to convey an atmosphere of being unimpressed with the tale that neither man could fully agree with what happened, T’Challa was inclined to believe that the Colonel’s remembrance of events were likely more truthful than Tony’s, but it was obvious to tell that she found it amusing as well.

“Well, I think it’s time to call it a night. We did good work here.” Rhodes stated after Tony tried to hide his fourth yawn in the last ten minutes.

“I should be getting back to my students.” Charles interjected quickly before Tony could open his mouth and delay their night. “It was a pleasure to meet you all.” Charles inclined his head to T’Challa and Miss Van Dyne before rolling backwards. “I hope to see you all again soon.”

“I’ll send over a written version tomorrow.” Tony offered and Xavier agreed before leaving the area. “Would you like one as well to show Hank?” Hope nodded, brushing herself off before standing up.

“I’ll see you at the meeting?” She asked and they all nodded.

“See you at the meeting.” Rhodes turned to Tony the moment they were mostly alone and leaned over to whisper “Are you alright?” Tony waved him off.

“I’m fine Sugar Bear. Just tired.”

“Alright, let’s get you home.” Tony made a frowning face.

“I’m fine Rhodey, I’ll have Happy take you home and I’ll catch a ride with his Panther-ness.” Rhodes looked like he might object but Tony held up a hand. “Honest, I’m good. It’d be a waste of your time to go all the way to the Compound and then have to come all the way back.”

“I’ll return with Mr. Stark to the Compound Colonel.” Rhodes glances his way, clearly sizing him up before nodding once. T’Challa wasn’t too surprised by the action. The Colonel must see enemies all around them since the day the Avengers moved into the Compound, let alone since they’ve returned ‘triumphant’ from the Accords fallout.

“I’ll call you tomorrow?” He says to Tony and he nods. Mr. Hogan materialized from his own table and left with Rhodes while T’Challa sent out a quick text for his chauffer to bring the car around.

“Shall we be on our way?” Tony lets out a soft sigh as he stands slowly. The movement is deliberate and T’Challa watches for any second where he might require assistance, but Tony gets his feet under him with seemingly minimal effort and the two of them depart.

The car ride back to the Compound is quiet, yet not uncomfortable. T’Challa uses the time to busy himself with his phone as he checks in on Shuri and Wakanda while Tony relaxes into the seat and his eyes slowly close. T’Challa lets his gaze travel over the other man as his breathing levels out and he wonders how and why fate has brought them back together. They arrive back at the Avengers Compound far too quickly and T’Challa lightly clears his throat to rouse his team member. Tony blinks a few times as he sits up.

“Back already?” T’Challa nods as the doors are opened for them.

“Perhaps we should call it a night, convene in the morning to write out what we discussed.” Tony bites his lip as they enter the main area and his eyes glance at the elevator down to his shop. T’Challa follows the look before saying, “You should get some rest my friend.”

“Rest? Rest is for the weak. That’s why they invented coffee.” Tony’s joking tone doesn’t get the smile he was probably aiming for. Instead T’Challa feels concern and it must show on his face because Tony’s expression scrunches up. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m fine, I’ve gone much longer- trust me.”

“I don’t doubt that, however you are still recovering from your surgery. Perhaps now is not the time to be pushing those limits when you don’t have to.” Tony looks like he’s about to argue, “Trust me, you should save that for a time when you _need_ it.” Tony seems to deflate a little, the fight leaving him as he nods.

“Alright…yeah, I’ll get a few hours. See you in the morning.”

 _“Boss? Mr. Rogers asked to be informed the moment you returned. Shall I alert him?”_ The AI sounds like she wants Tony to say no, but Tony just lets out a curse and runs a hand through his hair.

“Did he say what he wanted?”

_“No Sir.”_

“He might want to inquire about our meeting tonight.” T’Challa speaks up and Tony looks surprised.

“He knew?” There’s a pause before Tony adjusts his question into something a little more accurate. “He cared?”

“He wanted to have his voice heard as well. I have made a meeting to go over his notes Friday. You are welcome to be there if you wished.”

“No, if it’s alright with you I’ll steer clear. You don’t mind do you?”

“Not in the least, it is important to have everyone’s concerns in order to be sure that we address all the ones that we should.” Tony nods before tugging at his collar.

“Fri, tell Steve that I got in late and didn’t want to wake him. I’ll talk to him in the morning if he needs.” He does a small wave to T’Challa as he walks towards his room. “Night Lion-O.” T’Challa felt his lips lift a little at the name as Tony disappeared down the hall. T’Challa followed his idea and retired for the night as well. After all, he had a feeling that the next few days were going to be interesting.

-           -           -           -           -

As almost expected, breakfast had been an…affair.

If he’d been hoping for a silent or easy morning, then he would have clearly not been reading the terrain within the Avengers correctly. T’Challa had come down and had been slightly surprised to see the Scarlet Witch sitting on one of the bar stools. She looked like she’d been sitting there for a while, clearly waiting for something or someone to enter the common area. If T’Challa had been a more dramatic individual, he might have said it almost looked like a dark cloud was curling around her body as she glowered at the door. This of course was not the case, but her eyes did hold a small amount of concern for the King. Knowing what he did about her powers and the damage that they could do at any moment always made him a little wary around her, since she was an individual who clearly had no understanding of them.

“Is everything alright Miss Maximoff?” He asked and she did a curt nod, not taking her eyes off the door. “Are you waiting for someone?” She didn’t answer him, but in the next few moments the door opened revealing Tony and Steve. The hostility between the two of them was obvious as Steve chased after the brunet.

“Tony, get back here. Stop running from me. We need to talk about this.”

“We’re done talking Rogers.” Came Tony’s barely contained snarl, and T’Challa wondered what could have possibly occurred between the two of them so early in the morning to have them both in such a state.

“Tony! Stop walking away-” Steve reached out and grabbed Tony’s arm, yanking him back and causing all of the color in Tony’s face bled out as he let out a pained cry, his free hand clutching at his chest. T’Challa was instantly up as Steve let go and held his hands up, eyes wide. “What happened?”

“Anthony, are you alright?” T’Challa asked as he came up alongside the swaying man.

“I’m fine…shit…no, I’m fine.” It was clear he was anything but, however he pushed away from the two of them. “I’m fine damn it.” He walked away from them, moving towards the fridge. He leaned against the counter for a moment, a second of weakness shown before standing tall. He moved after that as if nothing had happened, greeting the young woman sitting there. “Good morning Wanda.”

“Stark.” Her tone wasn’t one of greeting, but of condemnation. Tony seemed to register it too as he rolled his eyes and unwisely chose to poke the bear in the room with a stick.

“Great, what did I do this time?” Her fists clenched together, small sparks of red leaking out from them.

“Vision has ended our relationship.” Tony paused, looking surprised.

“You and Viz were together? Oh…I thought you two were still dancing around each other.” He seemed to get a genuine apologetic look. “I’m sorry.” The words he uttered however seemed to anger the witch further as she slid off the stool and took a step towards him.

“Always apologizing does not make up for the damage you cause Stark.” Tony took a step back as several light bulbs blew, a small amount of fear showing in his eyes towards the young woman who followed him back. T’Challa and Steve moved together, Steve going to Wanda’s side as T’Challa moved to place himself in between the woman and her potential victim.

“You need to calm yourself Miss Maximoff.” T’Challa warned as Steve nodded and reached out for her.

“He’s right Wanda.” She turned watery eyes to Steve, a look of frustration on her face.

“Why does he get to keep hurting us? Why does he get to break everything he touches and we’re required to just ignore it and continue on? He took my _parents_ from me, he took my _brother_ and now he’s taken Vision…How much more am I supposed to stand by and let him rip from me? How much Steve?” T’Challa waited for Steve to say something to calm the woman down, and he was sorely disappointed when the Captain spoke.

“I know Wanda, I know…I’m sorry…” He pulled her into a hug and let her cry on his chest. T’Challa glanced at Tony who was looking at Wanda and seemed like he was in more pain then what his injury had previously called for. He snapped back to himself as Steve sent an almost disappointed look over the girl’s head towards him.

T’Challa watched as Tony’s face closed off and he moved around them. “I get it, I’ll go.” He snapped as he left the area heading towards the elevator, no doubt going into his lab. The room was eerily quiet after the other left, the only sounds were occasional sniffles. There was a moment of indecision before T’Challa moved over to the fridge, grabbing out supplies for a simple breakfast as Steve continued comforting Wanda.

Steve guided Wanda out of the common area, and T’Challa guess back to her room, once she’s calmed down. T’Challa appreciates the quiet of the kitchen as he keeps an eye on the eggs, pushing them around in the skillet whenever it calls for it. He’s sliding it off onto plates when the Captain returns to the area.

It’s obvious from his body language that he’s attempting to appear calm but it is clear in each step he takes that he’s prepping for a potential fight. “Can we talk?” T’Challa nods at the request, reaching over and starting to cut up the fruit he pulled out with the eggs. “I hear that you and Tony still had the Accords meeting.”

“Of course we did.”

“I thought we had an understanding? About how I should be involved in this stage.” His voice is questioning, with an almost friendly undercurrent. Like he doesn’t understand why T’Challa did what he did, like it’s offended him slightly but T’Challa is King and has grown up surrounded by those who would seek to manipulate him to get what they wanted. They were much better at it then the Captain is now.

“ _Everyone_ should be involved in this stage Captain. That was my understanding after all. The Accords penned by the Avengers should be discussed with all of the Avengers. Colonel Rhodes and Miss Van Dyne were present at the meeting as well. There will of course be a meeting with Vision, yourself and Miss Maximoff.”

“I had hoped to be present in all of the meetings, with each of the members.” T’Challa barely spared him a glance, grabbing a tray and placing the plates on it.

“May I ask why?” Steve looks confused at the question.

“As leader of the Avengers, I want to be sure that I understand all of the concerns of my team members.”

“Then fret not, all of those concerns will be addressed all together at the meeting on Saturday. Now, if that is all Captain. I do believe I have somewhere else to be.” For the first time, Steve seems to notice the two plates of food on the tray.

“Who is that for?” T’Challa lifts the tray and starts towards the direction that Tony went.

“Mr. Stark did not manage to get breakfast, I’m merely making sure he has an opportunity to eat.”

Steve nods while he moves in front of T’Challa and holds out his hands. “I can take it down there to him, I need to talk to him.”

“Likewise Captain, however it’s no burden. I’ll take it to him. The second plate is for myself after all. Thank you for the offer.” He manages to get past the Captain and onto the elevator, the doors closing seconds after he passes them, cutting off Steve from attempting to follow. “FRIDAY?”

_“Yes Sir?”_

“Am I permitted to request that Captain Rogers not be allowed into the Lab?”

 _“Your access does not prevent it.”_ T’Challa smiles lightly at the implication and the work around that the AI is offering.

“Very well, then please do not allow Captain Rogers into the Lab for the remainder of today.”

 _“Done Sir.”_ The doors open and T’Challa finds Tony sitting in one of the chairs. The man has a faraway look to his eyes, and a heaviness to his shoulders. He comes over and places down the tray, watching the surprise cross the others face.

“I thought a little sustenance would do us well.”

“…you didn’t have to.” Tony says softly and T’Challa waves it off.

“Nonsense.” He says as he places the plate down in front of Tony and sitting down in front of his own. “Now, I did think a bit of food would be appropriate for the conversation that I wished to have with you.” Tony’s about to take a bite before he cringes lightly.

“Okay…fire away.”

“I believe that there is a disconnect between the members of the Avengers.”

“What disconnect?”

“Mr. Rogers is still under the impression that he is the current leader of the Avengers.” Tony takes a small bite and chews for a few moments. “I do believe that this is causing discord within the team.”

“How so?”

“Mr. Rogers is placing himself in a position of authority or power that he does not have and requesting specialized treatment for it. I believe that this weakens us from the inside out.”

Tony’s looking at him, and for a moment T’Challa sees the shrewd businessman who has led one of the world’s largest companies for twenty years. “Steve expressed concern about you as well.”

This is not surprising to him. He actually would have been disappointed if the Captain had not. “As he should.”

“You don’t like him.”

T’Challa shakes his head. “Nothing so simple. I believe that he has proven himself unworthy of leading this team, as evidenced with his behavior during the original Accords. I could of course take examples from other areas but I believe there is more than enough evidence in that situation for my concern.”

“I don’t want to be team leader. I’d be terrible at it. Steve only lost the title because he was temporarily taken off the Avengers. Besides, even if I did want it, none of them would follow me into battle.”

“You believe that the Iron Patriot,” He hears Tony mutter ‘War Machine’ under his breath, “The Wasp, Vision, Spider Man and myself would hesitate to follow you into battle again?”

“Last time you all followed me, Rhodey got paralyzed, Spider Man got injured and we didn’t even get our man.” Tony holds up a hand to stop any comment that he might have said against it. “Besides, the most important part of what I said before was the fact that I _don’t_ _want_ the role.”

“Then I believe that you should hand the mantle down to a new leader, but I do not believe that it should be Captain America.”

“The Avengers trust him, they trust his commands on the field.”

“I believe that you are not taking into account all of the changes that have resulted due to the Accords. While I will not deny that the Scarlet Witch, the Black Widow and the Falcon would readily place their lives back into Rogers hands- they are no longer the only members.” T’Challa takes a bite and leisurely chews it in order to give a moment for his statement to impart on Tony. “I believe you do the rest of us a disservice by ignoring our addition and our feelings as to the future of the Avengers Initiative.”

There’s a pause before Tony nods. “You’re right, I’ll put it up to a vote on Saturday. But I guess the question for you now is this- if they chose Steve will you follow him?”

“I do not believe that will be the outcome, however if it does end up being how the meeting plays out…I guess we shall see.” T’Challa waits till they finish their meal before he asks, “Can you?”

“Follow Rogers? Of course.” Tony catches sight of his frown. “Why do you ask?”

“I was just curious.”

“That seemed like a heavier question than just ‘curiosity’.”

“Perhaps it is, but it might be nothing.” He puts the plates aside. “I believe we were going to organize and discuss the concerns and ideas that were mentioned last night at dinner?” Tony makes a soft sound of agreement. “And I do believe that I have a few things to add to them.”

“Already?” T’Challa nods at Tony’s question.

“The incident up in the kitchen made me realize an area that we neglected to cover last night.”

“What incident?”

“The one where Miss Maximoff lost control of her powers for a second and physically threatened a fellow team member.”

Tony waved it off. “She didn’t threaten me, and besides if she did she’d have more than enough reasons to.”

“That is unacceptable.”

“Look, what went down between Wanda and I is personal history. And nothing happened, she’s allowed to let off a little steam.”

T’Challa glanced at Tony, “Letting off a little steam does not and should never include a situation where someone else, or even themselves, should get hurt. At that point it is no longer ‘letting off a little steam’ and instead a form of misconduct or possibly, in your case, assault.”

Tony lets out a small laugh. “Wanda wasn’t going to ‘assault’ me.”

“Let us hope for your sake that you are correct.” Tony sighed and pulled up a screen.

“Come on, let’s just get this finished.”


	5. Chapter 5

Pepper had asked him what he was doing. Back when he was lying in his hospital bed, eating pudding that tasted like something Dummy had made and looking over the options for Avengers cleanup. She had taken one look at the screens that FRIDAY was projecting in front of him and Tony immediately knew that they were about to have ‘A Talk’. With the caps included because whenever Pepper got that frowny face, Tony knew he was about to get it.

Then again, maybe that’s why he loved her, in his own way, and why he had always loved her. Pepper had been the only assistant to come in and decide that she wasn’t going to get chased out of her job by Tony Stark and somehow through all of the wrangling, late night care packages and pep talks she had etched herself firmly into a place that he would call family. Right alongside Rhodey, who for some reason had chosen _him_ , despite all of the frustration that he would cause him over the course of their lifetime.

He knew that he could trust her to be the voice of reason, and sometimes when he needed it most, the voice of tough love. He regretted that they didn’t work out, but he was glad she was still by his side. Forever the Queen to his King.

“Hey Pep. Did you hear? They’re calling Helen out to do the initial DNA testing. Plus a whole bunch of overly paid scientists to double check my numbers. How boring is that?” Pepper came over and pulled out the seat next to the bed.

“Tony…what’s all this?”

“I’m bored.” The arched eyebrow tells him that she’s not buying his bullshit. He didn’t really expect her to. “I’m trying to handle this…I’m trying to fix it.”

“Tony-”

“Don’t Pep. You don’t understand, I need to do this.” She paused and seemed to take a moment before changing tactics.

“Okay, explain it to me. I can’t help you if I don’t know what to do.”

“Would you help me with this?”

She reached up and pulled her hair back into a quick ponytail, something she used to do whenever Tony had a big project and she knew she was going to be there all night. “Of course. Tell me what’s going on, fill me in.” Tony gets a small, relieved smile and does just that.

“Ross is out. He messed up, got too greedy and too power sure far too quickly. I’ve got him by the balls and I’m not too worried about him staying on the Accords. I’ll actually be impressed if he keeps his position at all, and if they don’t demote him.”

“I’m sure Bruce will be thrilled to hear about that.”

“Yeah, he was. He just sent me his notes on the Accords…a lot of them actually.” She got a smile and Tony pressed on. “I’ve got a few working ideas for how to clean up all of this shit that Rogers left behind.”

“Why bother?” Tony sighs and laments his limited movement.

“Because I know something is coming Pep. I know that everyone wants to just sweep New York under the rug, but it’s out there and it’s coming for us. I think Fury was right,” She arched an eyebrow, “Well… to a point.” He quickly amended. “I think that groups like the Avengers are the best chance we have right now. We need to be better, we need to get better because that out there? That’s not going to wait for us to get our heads out of our asses and be ready for them.” He glanced back down at the data in front of him. “The Avengers are the nosiest of all the groups out there, and the one that I think has a chance to make the most difference. This isn’t something that’ll just be a one and done sort of problem. This is now and it’s until forever. We need to get our shit together and build a strong foundation for it while we still can.” She reaches over and takes one of the Stark Pads from him. “Whether we like it or not, Captain America’s image is still relatively untarnished in the general public. We need to use that, we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

“The Accords won’t allow us to bring Captain America back on the team.”

“The Sokovia Accords are out. Luckily they’re tied too far into Ross’s career and personal vendetta to survive what I did to him. I’ve got our lawyers already discussing a new option for their replacements.” Tony paused, a thought crossing his mind. “Thinking of that, can you reach out to T’Challa? If we can get him on board with scrapping the old ones we might have a really good chance that this doesn’t stretch out for years. We need the Avengers back ASAP.”

Pepper made a few taps on her Pad with a nod. “Did you want me to set up a meeting here or to fly out to Wakanda to meet with him?”

“No, Wakanda’s off limits right now.” Pepper paused at the tone, and the speed at which he said that statement, glancing up through her bangs.

“Why is Wakanda off limits?” There was no answer at first. “Tony?”

“…If Rogers sees the Stark Jet flying in it could cause an incident.” He doesn’t actually thing that Rogers will do anything too crazy, like shoot it out of the sky or stage a full on assault on the jet…but with him trapped in here and no one to go to Pepper’s rescue, Tony’s not risking it.

“They’re in Wakanda? Why would T’Challa allow them into the one country that demanded accountability? Isn’t that kind of doing just the opposite?” Pepper makes a good point, and Tony’s got some ideas about the why, nothing concrete but also nothing important to the issue at hand.

“I’m sure he has his own reasons. I don’t know why they’re there, but I know they are. Just…see if we can get him here and if not I’m more than willing for a video conference.”

Pepper makes a few more notes as the door opens and a familiar face walks in. Tony gives her one of his most winning smiles. “Good morning Helen, why you’re looking stunning today. Did you do something new with your hair?”

“Save it.” She says as she flips through another page on the clipboard in her hands. Tony and Pepper share a sideways glance with matching grins. “How is it that you’ve already managed to end up here? This wasn’t supposed to be a possibility so soon.”

“I guess getting my ass handed to me accelerated the process. So what are we looking at?”

“What do you know?” She asked and Tony shakes his head.

“Not much, but I know it’s not good. All of these tubes and wires notwithstanding. Rhodey and Pepper have been making sad faces, and that kind of tells me that I might be dying again.”

“We haven’t been making sad faces. Concerned, absolutely. Angry? Most definitely, but not sad.” Pepper cut in before Helen had a chance to respond.

“Well…you’re not wrong.” For a moment, Tony feels like he can’t breathe. He was joking…well mostly. He didn’t actually think he was _dying_. Just a few cracks to the artificial sternum, a collapsed lung and a minor heart condition, nothing _too_ bad.

“What?”

“You’re not wrong. As of right now, you’re falling apart. I’m not sure that my Cradle can help you this time.” Pepper looks horrified, which means this is news to her and Tony fights the growing panic. He manages to keep his voice calm, but even he’s not a hundred percent sure how he does it.

“Is there anything we can do?” She nods at his question.

“I’ve been looking over your charts and Vision has been assisting me with some numbers.” She paused and glanced up at Tony. Immediately Tony knows that he’s not going to like whatever is coming next. “Right now, your best option is Extremis.” And he’s not wrong.

“Extremis?” Pepper whispers off to the side, like it’s a ghost that just won’t leave them alone.

“Extremis isn’t stable and it doesn’t integrate well.” He reminded her and Helen nodded, agreeing with everything he was saying.

“Vision and I believe that we might be able to contain Extremis with the Cradle. We can keep it mostly dormant except small, monitored bursts of activation for its healing purposes.”

“This is crazy.” Tony mutters, but already his mind is running calculations. “We’d have to remove the synthetic flesh and bones from my body to allow it to heal.” He realizes horrified, and she nods.

“You’d be bedridden for at least two to three weeks. And the initial regeneration would be fragile. It would need time to solidify, so you won’t be able to be in the armor for some time after that.”

“That leaves Vision and Spider-Man as the only available defense right now.” Tony’s voice hitches a little, some of the panic at the thought of Vision and Peter going into battle without any backup.

“Vision and Spider-Man are already the only defense. You’re not getting in the armor in your condition now anyways. And Colonel Rhodes is no longer able to pilot the Iron Patriot.”

“War Machine.” Pepper and Tony state at the same time and Tony glances at Pepper.

“I need that meeting ASAP. Before we attempt this.”

“You’re seriously thinking of going with Extremis? Tony, people die when Extremis gets pumped into their veins. Maybe not always right away, but sooner rather than later they go boom.” Worry is dripping from her every word.

“I’m not just going to pump that poison into my body without seriously reworking it. I need you to trust me, please.” Pepper pinches the bridge of her nose, clearly wanting to argue but at the same time obviously coming to the same conclusion that Tony has.

Extremis is his only chance. For a moment he wonders who the hell he pissed off in another life.

Helen might be casual with the offer now, but Tony knows how she feels about Extremis and what it does to the human condition. If she’s advocating for its use…then Tony’s worse off than he thinks.

“I’ll get his representative on the phone now.” Pepper inclines her head to Helen as she leaves the room, her phone already coming up to her ear as the door closes behind her.

“Alright, get straight with me. What’s going on?”

Helen, to her credit doesn’t hesitate and Tony is grateful that she’s kept this information to herself until they were in the room alone. “Honestly Stark? Your heart is done for, the machines are basically keeping you alive at this point. There’s still the possibility of brain damage that just hasn’t manifested itself yet, but you’ve only just woken up so we’ll need to run some more tests just to be sure. Bottom line? Your system is overtaxed and is no longer holding up, and as if that wasn’t enough, your body is starting to reject the Synthetics.” Tony spares a glance at the machines and their steady beeping. He doesn’t answer her for a second, his mind racing over the information presented. “Stark?”

“I’m fine. Okay, I’m assuming there’s paperwork I need to sign? Who am I kidding, there’s always paperwork to sign. FRIDAY?”

_“Yes Boss?”_

“I need you to send a request for Sue Storm, Charles Xavier and Bruce.”

_“What would you like it to say Boss?”_

“Send them the basics of Extremis and ask if they’d be so kind as to consult with Dr. Cho.” Tony glanced at Helen. “You don’t mind do you?”

“Not at all.” Several doctors and nurses walked in and Cho tucked the clipboard under her arm. “Let’s get started shall we?”

-           -           -           -           -

As expected, Sue and Charles accept his request to look over Extremis. Bruce’s reply seems a little annoyed that Tony felt like he even needed to _ask_ and didn’t just send the file. Tony’s in the process of managing several projects, the brain damage highly unlikely at this point thank god, when he hears the commotion outside the hospital room. There seems to be some form of disagreement happening in the hall and he can hear Happy through the door saying that no one is getting in without a badge.

“FRIDAY, bring up security cameras?” A new screen projects itself in front of him and he can see Happy standing in-between T’Challa, T’Challa’s guard and the door. Clearly the woman who is up in Happy’s face doesn’t appear to understand that he’s not budging, and T’Challa seems to have an amused look on his face as he takes in the proceedings. “FRIDAY call Happy.” The ringing starts up and a second later he sees Happy reach into his pocket.

“Yeah boss?”

“You’re being ridiculous, I know you know who that is.” Happy turns his body a little towards the door and acts as if the people standing by him can’t hear him. Tony can’t help but feel fondness for his friend.

“I don’t care who he is, he could be the Queen of England. He doesn’t have an access badge. He’s not getting in.”

“Well he _is_ the King of Wakanda, so there’s that.”

“Eh, doesn’t have the same ring to it. No go.” Tony laughs and has to bite through the pain caused by the action. He reaches over and types on one of the screens before sliding it towards the phone projection.

“There you go.” Happy glances down at the message he just got and makes a face at the electronic badge. He turns around to address them, and Tony can barely make out what he’s saying from the phone speaker.

“He can go in, he’s got a badge. The rest of you are going to have to wait out here.” That’s clearly about to start another fight by the way the woman’s shoulders go back when T’Challa makes a hand motion that has them all standing down. A few seconds later the door opens and he steps through. Tony closes the screen showing the hallway and gives a small smile.

T’Challa freezes the moment he enters the room, his face completely neutral but his eyes scanning over the various bruises on his face and the dozens of tubes and wires hooking Tony up to the machines surrounding him. He looks stricken for a moment, like he wasn’t expecting Tony to be in the state he’s in.

“Mr. Stark, I got your request.” Is what he leads with after a few seconds and Tony inclines his head.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice. I was hoping that we might discuss the future of the Accords.”

“Should it not be better to wait for when you are well?” There must be something that flashes over Tony’s face because T’Challa follows up the statement carefully with, “Unless we cannot?”

“I’m scheduled for surgery by the end of the week. If I’m lucky I’ll hold out till then.” Tony doesn’t say anything about how he doesn’t expect it to go down that well. His luck is never that good. “However as with all surgeries there is a risk and I’d like the…peace of mind to know that this was all handled if worse should come to worse.” Tony motions to the chair that Pepper had occupied and T’Challa comes over to sit.

“If I may ask…” His eyes glance over Tony’s injured body again and Tony aims for nonchalant. He’s not a hundred percent sure he manages it.

“Just got a few miles put on me, that’s all.” He flicks his fingers to drag one of the screens in front of the other man. “Now, here is the initial Accords that your father-” Tony pauses and sends him an apologetic look. “Sorry for your loss by the way,” T’Challa inclines his appreciation for the sentiment and Tony continues. “That your father created before Ross and the UN got their hands on it. I’m not going to lie, I understand why the UN made a lot of ratifications to the original document. While the Sokovia Accords were a nightmare…these…would not have done well either.”

T’Challa flips through a few of the screens. “My father wished to prevent the cavalier loss of life that your team seemed so willing to brush under the rug.”

“I know that lots of people have been caught in the crossfire, and I know that many innocents have lost their lives, their families and or their livelihoods to events that we have been involved in. Don’t misunderstand me, I stand by your father’s vision. I just don’t think that the way he went about it, the way that you handle it in Wakanda, is the way to handle it out here.” Tony moved over a few more screens. “Now, I was going to just handle everything through the legal process and deal with ratifying the Accords the long way, but we have an opportunity here.” Tony doesn’t say that he’s afraid that he doesn’t have that sort of time anymore. “I think we might be able to work together and create a charter that governs the Avengers in a much more succinct and less governmental control sort of way. If there is anything Ross proved, it’s that someone will come in and try to take advantage of us. We need to take care of ourselves, but we can’t keep doing what we’ve been doing.” Tony waited till T’Challa met his gaze past the screens. “I want to make this better, but I need your help.” T’Challa’s gaze takes him in and weighs heavily on him as if looking for any form of dishonesty. He must see something he approves of because seconds later he nods.

“I believe you are correct about the Accords. My father meant for them to be one thing but they became something else entirely after his death. As they are now, I cannot stand behind them. I will assist you in any way I can.” It feels like a weight is off his chest, and Tony lets a little of the panic ease away as they start to get to work.

-           -           -           -           -

T’Challa stays for the rest of the week, even catching on to the plan the second day with Extremis and offering forth several Wakandan biochemists and doctors. There seems to be progress on that front, and Tony checks in periodically to see what new problems or solutions they’ve come across.

T’Challa pokes at some of his other screens he’s working on during their time laying out the plan for their pitch to the UN about the newly titled ‘Avengers Accords’. Tony feels momentarily embarrassed about all of the extra projects that he’s trying to get in before he goes under. There’s new gadgets that he’s planned for Peter, various workups for Rhodey’s new legs, finished plans for the new armor that is currently in production for Pepper, as well as plans for a new arm for Barnes and the numbers on his neural invention and its chances about being a solution for mind control. He quickly brushes them off, but knows that T’Challa had taken in all of them despite not being at the best angle when he offers more scientists to test the possibility of the invention on Barnes.

“Mind control is a thing we all need to worry about.” Is Tony’s defense and T’Challa nods.

“That it is, between Hydra and specialized individuals who might use their gifts for ill will, an invention like this could be invaluable.” He’s kind enough not to say anything else, and Tony’s noticed that he’s strangely quiet about the whole Siberia thing. Tony’s already said that he doesn’t hold any ill will for T’Challa taking in the others but the King gets odd whenever Tony mentions it, so he gives up before he upsets the man that he needs to be on his side for right now.

The surgery deadline gets closer and closer far too quickly, and Tony does his best to finish up everything before he goes under. The meetings with T’Challa move along beautifully, it’s nice to work with someone who understands what he’s saying and where he’s coming from without immediately assuming that he has ulterior motives. Sue Storm, Tony decides, is brilliant and is completely wasted on Reed. As a joke he offers a membership to the Avengers, but she turns it down politely. Tony pouts for a total of ten seconds before shrugging and moving on. He’s not surprised in the least by her choice, and he lets her know that the offer is open whenever and if-ever she wants to take it.

Charles is a godsend, and not just his genetics assistance with Extremis. Tony’s been dying to come up with helpful training exercises for the current and future Avenger members and who better than the man who runs a boarding school for mutants? Charles is strangely unassuming in his wheelchair, but Tony is not fooled by the image presented. When he learns that the Accords fallout has opened the way to harsher ideas for mutant registration, Tony offers his assistance. Charles tries to convince him that he did everything he could with the Sokovia Accords and that this new legislation doesn’t fall on Tony’s shoulders. Tony disagrees naturally, if he and Rogers could have gotten their shit together before this entire fuck up, then perhaps things like this wouldn’t even exist. He feels like Charles hears some of that, but he doesn’t comment and instead accepts his offer gratefully. They’ll need as many people on this as possible in order to protect all of those innocent kids.

Sometimes during these moments, Tony wonders what Steve would think if he knew half of the damage that he’s caused.

Those are also the moments when a tiny voice in the back of his mind asks, even if he did know- would he care?

-           -           -           -           -

“You’re going to be fine.” Tony nods and tries to give her a smile, but he’s unsure if she sees it behind the oxygen mask covering his face. “And I’m not taking it, because you’re going to be fine.” Her reaction to the Rescue armor is expected, after all Pepper never really liked Tony running around in the Iron Man armor so her own personal suit just has to rankle her. Happy is standing behind her looking like he’s standing at a funeral and Tony wants to say something about the fact that he’s not dead _yet_. But oxygen mask aside, the anesthesiologist has already started the process of doping him up and things get light for a moment, almost reminiscent of the feeling of weightlessness that he gets in the armor sometimes when he’s arching down from a very high altitude before everything goes fuzzy and cuts to black.

He didn’t even realize that he never expected to survive the surgery and the initial implementation of Extremis until he’s slammed back into awareness…and everything _hurts_. He’s suspended in some kind of modern take of medieval torture contraption as the pain washes over him. Immediately he makes a mental note to invent a much better version of hospital morphine before he’s forced to just endure.

The only good thing he can say about being temporarily, medically paralyzed is the hours of time for self-inflection. In the in-between times when Cho actually needs him awake to blink once for yes and twice for no, Tony gets a bit of soul searching done.

It’s weird, and it’s not something he’s really had the time to do since Afghanistan. Last time he had to ponder what he would do with his company if he ever got out of that nightmare. This time he’s wondering what he’s going to do with the Avengers…and himself.

The Avengers are broken, and despite Rogers claim on the airfield that _Tony_ broke them by signing the Accords- Tony realizes that maybe they were always broken. Things just happened so fast, perhaps too fast. They never really had any time to readjust to the new team or to each other. Tony had figured that moving them all into the Tower would have been a great bonding experience. Once the Compound got built it was only natural to shift over to the more superior building. Tony always thought that they would come together, that if he worked hard enough he’d be seen standing alongside giants and not be seen wanting.

He knows better now.

It was never only on his shoulders. They just simply didn’t fit. It was like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. There was nothing inherently wrong with the peg or the hole itself, they just didn’t work _together_. Perhaps it _was_ Tony who was the odd one out, and maybe there was nothing wrong with that. There were plenty of superhero teams out there for Iron Man to join, or hell- Iron Man had been on his own long before the others got called in. Who said he couldn’t just go back to being a one man show? There were things he was still going to take care of for them, naturally- but as the days ticked by he realized that the answer to the problem might very well be to bow out and walk away.

That said, the Avengers side of everything is the easy thing to work though, the harder part to come to grips with is the Steve problem.

Growing up, he’d always heard how amazing Captain America was. How wholesome, how good, how perfect. If there was anything that Howard had drilled into his mind before he died it was that. So how else was Tony supposed to respond when that hero wound up on his doorstep? First Tony had just wanted his approval, to be seen as an equal. That didn’t work at first, something just didn’t really mesh between the two heroes. Tony thought that had all changed with New York, but he quickly realized that this wasn’t the case. He had meant to do better, however somewhere down the line, old crushes and bad decisions had led to a change in the program. Suddenly Tony was worth something, Captain America loved him- Captain America saw something redeemable inside Tony. (Eat _that_ Howard) It had been so amazing, and so humbling that Tony knew now that he ignored all of the red flags. Tony always knew that Steve had one foot out the door, that Steve was constantly reminding Tony- whether he meant to or not- how quickly he could be gone. So Tony did what he always did, he bent over backwards to maintain the small amounts of love and approval that the team and Steve threw at him. Like a dog begging for scraps and being so thankful when he was thrown some.

But this couldn’t go on.

Tony knew it now. He knew that even if he got the team back together like he wanted that things were never going to go back to the way they were. They couldn’t, since it wasn’t a working system. And if there was one thing that Tony could never stand, it was an inefficient system. Things were going to have to change, and Tony once again was going to have to be the one to change them.

He sighed inwardly as he realized that this whole debacle might just rank up there with Afghanistan very soon.

If only he had known back then how right he was.

 


	6. Chapter 6

 

He knows that Stevie means well, just sometimes he goes a little above and beyond. Ever since Bucky got to the Compound, Steve’s been a constant presence. It’s not that Bucky doesn’t appreciate him there, because he does. It’s nice to have the one person there who has proven that they’ll take on the world for you, especially when you’re going through a hard time.

The Doc lady says that he’s doing well. He’s inclined to believe that she believes that’s true. He doesn’t feel like he is though, the moments with that brain machine terrify him. He wants to remember who he was before, he wants to remember Bucky Barnes…but he can’t control what memories actually unlock and even though he gets the ‘Bucky’ memories – they’re quickly overshadowed by the Winter Soldiers missions. Doc says that’s good, that it’s a part of healing and taking back his autonomy. That they can’t erase what happened, and what he did but at least he’ll know that there are no dark spots in his mind. No trapdoors that could let someone sneak in and manipulate him again.

Steve thinks with time the Winter Soldier will be gone. Bucky thinks Steve can be a little to blindly optimistic. If there’s anything he’s learning right now is that he’ll never part with the Hydra assassin. He’ll never get that blood off his hands.

He keeps a good face on for Steve though, the man has enough troubles right now. He’s trying to hide it, but Bucky can see the strain between him and Stark. Steve’s worried that Stark is going to attack him or do something untold towards him. That at any minute the other man is going to fly off the handle like he did in Siberia and it’ll all be over. It’s almost hilarious how Steve thinks that the engineer is in any state to be doing anything violent, when the other is clearly injured. If Stark did try to kill Bucky right now, even with one arm gone it wouldn’t be hard to take the other man out.

“Just…just don’t let your guard down around him okay?” Steve implores with those big blue eyes and Bucky does a small nod.

“I won’t.”

“I know you think he’s not a threat, but a lot of people have thought that about Tony before.” He pauses and Bucky feels like asking.

“What happened?”

Steve gets a pinched look. “Well none of them are around to ask. So there’s that.” Bucky hums and files that away. Steve offers an apple to him and gets a hopeful smile. “Are you excited about the meeting coming up? You’re going to be able to officially meet the team. The whole team I mean, not just the random members you’ve come across.”

“Didn’t know I was attending.” Steve looks surprised by his statement.

“What? I thought you knew? We’re voting on you becoming a member. That’s what you wanted right?” Bucky doesn’t really have the heart to tell Steve no in anything, and certainly not right now.

“Not about what I want, it’s about what they choose.” He deflects and Steve waves off the concern.

“They’ll say yes. You’ll see, I’ll vouch for you.” And just like that, the conversation is over. Bucky isn’t sure if he should point out that maybe Steve shouldn’t be vouching for someone who has yet to get his noggin on straight, but says nothing. Steve looks at the clock again and stands. “I’ve got to meet with T’Challa soon.”

“The King?”

“Yeah, about the new Accords, I managed to get him to agree to talk to me sooner about my concerns.” The way Steve says it shows that Steve’s unhappy about something.

“What is it?”

“Nothing Buck, it’s fine.” It’s clearly anything but, and Bucky sits up a little straighter.

“What’s wrong?” Steve takes a second before seeming to deflate and running a hand through his hair.

“I just…I’m glad you’re joining the Avengers, because I could really use more people who I know have my back right now. I don’t trust the Black Panther and Tony…” He trails off. “Tony’s adrift and I don’t know how to help him. He’s not _letting_ me help him.”

Bucky thinks about the information he just got and opts to poke at the safer of the two statements. “Why don’t you trust the King?” Steve’s face falls into a small frown.

“He’s got his own agenda. I don’t like it. He’s been going behind my back and messing with my team.” Steve’s fist clenches slightly before relaxing. “And he’s going after Tony, who is still in a vulnerable spot and I think this guy is taking advantage of it.”

Bucky lets that sink in. “And Stark’s not talking to you because he’s mad at you.”

“That or he’s having one of his fits.” Bucky arches an eyebrow at the word and Steve explains. “Tony…sometimes he does things just to be spiteful. I think he’d shoot himself in the foot if it would inconvenience or irritate someone he didn’t like.”

“That’s mature.” Steve lets out a small chuckle and does a ‘what can you do?’ shrug.

“No one’s ever really told him ‘no’ before, I guess tantrums just come with the territory.” Steve gets a faraway look, like old thoughts and memories are crossing his mind. “Tony’s ego can be a nightmare to deal with, and it’s caused us a lot of problems in the past. He was getting better for a while, before Ross came in and stroked it. Now I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what T’Challa’s doing, and we just finished one war- I’d rather not start another with him.” His shoulders sag a little and Bucky has the sudden urge to wrap the idiot up in a hug and then go roll some heads. “I just want things to go back to the way they were…I thought…and I mean I know these things take time, but I’m just seeing all of these other problems coming up and Tony should be at my side – not fighting against me.” There’s a pause before his voice comes out almost too softly to be heard. “I just want us to be happy again…to be a family again.”

There’s a moment of silence, and Bucky’s mind is working overtime to try and help his friend. “Well…” He starts, searching for an answer. “Have you tried doing the things that you used to do for him?” Steve gives him a confused look.

“What do you mean? I’ve tried talking to him, he doesn’t want to talk.” Bucky shakes his head.

“No, I mean the things you did when you became a couple. Or like right before? What did you do that made him fall in love with you? Are you doing those things?” Steve bites his lip and is clearly thinking about whatever methods he used to woo the youngest Stark. “I mean, why don’t you pretend like you’re starting all over again? Be charming and all of that? Maybe he just needs to see that you care. You’ve been pretty busy with me, and you did kind of abandon him back there…maybe he needs to see you’re taking this seriously.” Steve’s face morphs into a smile that’s so much like the one the small ragtag boy in the back alleys would get whenever Bucky came through for him. It warms Bucky’s heart a little. He may not remember fully who he is, but at least he can still do this right.

“That’s a great idea Buck…Thank you.” Steve moves over to the mirror and quickly fixes the mess he made of himself, smoothing back down his hair. “I’ll be back later?” Bucky does a nod and Steve leaves the room with a final grin.

It’s strangely silent for an undetermined amount of time as Bucky lies in the empty room. He doesn’t ever really know what to do with himself when he’s not with Steve. He can’t sleep, that’s for certain. Anytime he closes his eyes he sees dozens of no named faces begging for mercy. He sees Howard and his wife as he takes their lives.

He sees the look that the video of it puts on the face of their son twenty years later, and he’s no longer able to lie there.

His stomach rumbling gives him enough reason to get up and go to the kitchens. It’s getting late by the time he does, and he’s unsure how long Steve’s been off with the King but he hopes that’s going well. The twinge in his ruined arm is barely bearable, and it’s something he’s been ignoring for the past few days. T’Challa said that the engineers would be arriving Monday to fix the synapsis and Bucky figures he’s suffered worse than this before so he does nothing when the Doc offers him pain medication for it.

He’s a little surprised to hear movement in the kitchen, and he wonders who is wandering about in the dark. Other than the illumination from the night outside, the only light in the kitchen is the open refrigerator. The man rummaging around inside of it causes him to pause.

He hasn’t spoken with Stark since the first day he woke up here. Stark’s always been careful to avoid him wherever he wanders and Bucky wonders if that has something to do with the crazy spy program in the walls. Half of him wants to turn and slink away, give the man his freedom and privacy- but the other half of him is curious about the man that Steve loves. He doesn’t see it, and he knows that he’s coming in on a bad time for the two of them, but even then he doesn’t understand why Stark. Steve could have anyone else in this world probably…why does he want Tony Stark?

Tony has a work cart pulled up alongside him and he’s slowly divesting the fridge of its contents and placing them on the rolling cart. He’s not in his suit, instead cutting an interesting picture. Bucky’s never seen Stark outside of his two settings: business playboy and Iron Man. He’s never really given much thought that there would be another side at all, he almost figured that Stark just materialized looking perfectly ready to walk the red carpet every single day. Instead, here he is with his hair all messed up, what looks like grease stains on his shirt and sweats and padding around barefoot.

 _“Boss?”_ The spy program’s voice is strangely quiet, and Tony makes a humming noise. _“Mr. Barnes is at the door.”_ Tony doesn’t spin around, or make any sudden movements like Bucky might have thought he would. Instead he just slowly finishes pulling out his desired snack choices before placing them on the cart and closing the door.

“I’m just looking for some food.” Bucky offers up, as neutrally as he can and Stark grabs the cart, rolling it over to the counter a little bit away with him before making a one handed motion towards the fridge. “I can come back later if you want.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll be leaving soon anyways. Enjoy yourself.” Bucky slowly walks over to the fridge as Tony starts to make a sandwich, acting like he isn’t bothered in the slightest to be next to his parents’ murderer. Bucky is almost impressed, it’s a well-acted lie. Most people probably wouldn’t be able to see the small tells he’s giving.

He’s not a hundred percent sure what makes him do it, but he grabs a water and a small container of what looks like pasta before sitting at the island and watching the other man make his food. It takes a total of sixty seconds before Tony’s glancing up and making eye contact with him. “Is there something you need?”

“I just want to say two things to you, and I don’t want to…upset you.” It’s true and Tony frowns a little before motioning for him to continue. “I’m sorry…about Howard and...” He pauses, realizing that he doesn’t know the name to fill into the blank.

“Maria.” It’s almost a whisper, like Tony tried to stop it from slipping out. “Her name was Maria.”

“I never knew. I’m sorry about Howard and Maria. I never got a chance to say that…and I never got to say thank you either.”

“You don’t need to thank me Barnes, I didn’t really do it just for you.”

“So what? It still helped me, and I’m thankful.” Tony does an awkward nod and they fall into silence for a bit before there’s a small whirring noise and pain shoots up his shoulder. By the time it passes to a more manageable level, Tony’s looking at him like he’s in a battle with himself.

“…I’ve got some tools here. If you want me to look at it. Nothing crazy of course, you’d have to come down to the lab for that.” Bucky immediately remembers Steve’s warning.

“No thanks.” Tony seems to think about something before sighing and putting down his sandwich, rolling the cart over towards where Bucky is sitting. He grabs the stool and sits down next to him.

“FRIDAY? I need light.” The lights come on a second after the request and Bucky gives him an unsure look.

“What are you doing Stark?”

“Look…I didn’t mean…” He sighs. “I’m sorry too. I know in my head that you didn’t have control over what happened…I know that.” He says the last part almost to himself with so much weight on the words. “I know that you’re just as much of a victim to Hydra as I was, and I’m sorry I attacked you. I shouldn’t have.”

“You had good reason.”

“I’m trying…I’m trying to deal with this. I know that you and I are going to have to learn to work together, it’s just that… well you know how B.A.R.F works, it feels like you just lived through that memory yes?” He nods and Stark continues while he starts putting screwdrivers and small tools onto the counter from his cart. “What you don’t know is that right before the Accords, I had been playing around in the memories of my parents. The day they left to be specific.” He shakes his head. “I know in theory that it was a long time ago, but for me…it didn’t feel like that. It felt like I had just seen her – and then I had to watch you kill her.” Bucky doesn’t say anything about the lack of concern for Howard in his sentence. He remembers back in Siberia, Tony didn’t mention him there either – instead he had said that he didn’t care because Bucky had killed his mom. “We’re going to be in each other’s spheres and I want to try…I want to try to get past this.”

This moment seems slightly strange to Bucky, because all of the tells and signs that Tony is giving out is showing that the billionaire is telling the truth. He wants to be able to get past this problem with Bucky. Tony motions for Bucky to shift a little as he picks up two of the tools that he’s laid out and for a moment Bucky wonders if he’s going to regret this decision. But he does feel like this is something more than just offering to fix his arm. This feels like Tony is apologizing and offering the chance to start over. Bucky wouldn’t have credited him with that sort of behavior, not with the images of the man he’s been presented with. He was under the impression that this was a man who never apologized for anything. He nods once and shifts, allowing Tony to get closer and start poking around at the smoothed edges of what’s left behind. “This might sting a bit, just a warning.” Bucky does a curt nod and waits it out as the other starts poking around at it.

He’s not wrong, it does sting a bit, but less so than any of the other times other doctors have poked at it. Tony works in silence for a little while before he speaks again. “It won’t always be like this you know.”

“The arm?”

“Oh, well not that either. I’ve got some ideas, you’re going to like them. They’re pretty awesome if I do say so myself. Granted, everything I make is awesome so there’s that.” Bucky lets out a snort at the other’s joking comment. “No, I mean…after B.A.R.F. gets you all squared away, it won’t always be like this.”

“What exactly is ‘like this’?”

“Being trapped in here, being afraid of yourself.”

“There’s a good reason to be afraid of me Stark. I remember your face when I pulled the trigger.”

“Yeah, color me surprised- an assassin tried to assassinate me when I went to stop him. What a novel concept.” His words aren’t light, but the tone he uses is. “I’ve had many people shoot at me Barnes, and for reasons a lot more dramatic than ‘get out of my way’.” He waves his hand as if brushing all of that in the past. “Besides, we’re starting over. That’s us: clean slate. Just avoid shooting me without good reason next time alright?” Bucky arches an eyebrow.

“Just like that? Clean slate and we’re good?” Tony makes a humming noise. “Why? What do you get out of it?”

“Peace I guess?” Comes the answer after a pause. “I mean I know I’m probably the last person on the planet who deserves that…but there it is. I’m no innocent Barnes, I’ve done things and I’ve hurt more than my fair share of people. At least you can say you were forced…me? I can only say I wasn’t paying attention.” He gets a little quieter. “I can only say that I didn’t care.” There’s a heaviness to those words and Bucky is temporarily rendered speechless. The moment is gone a second later when Tony’s walls go back up. It’s jarring, and Bucky can see that the vulnerable man who was present just a second ago is locked far away now. Behind this well constructed mask. “But we’ve gotten you mostly squared away. You’ve been cleared of anything done during your time under the influence and as long as you don’t start going around yelling ‘Hail Hydra’ I figure you’ll be back out on the streets in a matter of months.” There’s nothing really to say to that, so Bucky doesn’t try and opts to just watch the billionaire work. His eyes crease in concentration and a few times he holds the extra tools in between his teeth while humming something that seems to have a heavy beat. He doesn’t seem to have been giving off any of the tells that someone who is trying to manipulate him into letting their guard down does, and it’s throwing both the Soldier and Bucky off. Who would have ever thought? That _Tony Stark_ would offer him forgiveness after everything he’s done?

“Steve misses you, you know.” There’s a pause for a second before Tony continues working. “Don’t mean to overstep whatever boundaries we’re making here…but he told me about you two…and he seems to care about you.”

“As Captain America, it’s kind of Steve’s job to be worried about his other team mates.” It’s a deflection, and Bucky considers leaving it there.

“Do you love him?” There’s a click and a spasm of pain before everything loosens up and Tony leans back.

“I think I’m too sober to be having that conversation with you.” Bucky rolls his shoulder and is a little surprised to find that it feels great. “Don’t look so shocked. I’d never damage hardware.” He puts the tools back onto the cart. “There, nothing more I can do for it but T’Challa’s people will be here soon.” There’s something that Bucky feels he still needs to get off his chest, something he feels he needs to say for Steve’s sake and so he goes for the direct approach.

“Are you and that doctor lady together?” Tony turns with a look of complete confusion.

“Doctor lady…Helen?” He nods and Tony lets out a surprised laugh. “What on earth ever made you think that?” Tony shakes his head with an amused grin. “I’m not with Helen, not that she’d ever have me. I’m taking some time off. You know what they say – take some time off for you and all that?”

“What about you and Steve?” Tony looks like he’d rather be having any conversation other than this one.

“Steve and I broke up.” Tony says at last. Bucky feels a moment of confusion, Steve didn’t mention any of that to him. He made it seem like the two of them were still together just…not talking. Bucky didn’t realize that their relationship had gotten this bad. “And for whatever it’s worth…yeah, I think I did.” Bucky doesn’t say anything to Tony as the other grabs his sandwich and rolls the cart off to the hallway, disappearing in the direction of his room.

He’s been taking notes since he’s returned, the Soldier is always taking notes, but these ones aren’t really adding together. He’d heard Clint’s frustrations at the other member when they had been in Wakanda before he had gone back under stasis for that short amount of time. He’d listened to Wanda’s arguments and Sam’s confusion regarding Iron Man’s pilot. The images they painted were of a cocksure asshole who broke everything he touched and never looked back at the wreckage. Of an arrogant rich boy who believed the world and the people in it were merely toys for his amusement, even Steve mentioned similar problems with the brunet’s behavior.

Bucky wondered if it was possible that the events of the ‘War’ as they were calling it, which was beyond insulting because he had been in war and that was not it, had inherently changed the nature of the man they were discussing. It seemed unlikely, but then the ending in Siberia had been a violent altercation that had clearly left its scars on the man, and not just physically.

-           -           -           -           -

Steve’s in a right mood in the morning light.

He’s all forms of coiled aggression, pacing around the room like a caged animal. “What happened last night?” Bucky asks and Steve lets out a small growl, clenching his hands into fists.

“He’s so smug Buck. Like he’s already won and he’s just placating me.” Steve lets out a frustrated huff. “Do you know what he said to me?” Bucky shakes his head no, clearly he has no idea because he wasn’t there, but Steve continues. “He said that I had no authority to demand to know the other concerns at this point because I wasn’t the leader of the Avengers and that they’d be addressed in the meeting with everyone else.”

That’s news to Bucky, Steve’s been pretty sure that he’s retained that title even through the Accords mess. “Who is?”

“Tony.” The name is snarled out a little and Bucky shrugs.

“At least it isn’t the King?” He offers and it’s clearly the wrong thing to say as it starts Steve off on another bout of aggravated pacing.

“No, this is terrible. Tony isn’t cut out for leading anything, but he doesn’t know that. He can’t be trusted to make the right decision, and now T’Challa has filled his head with delusions of grandeur. Do you know how complicated it’s going to be to wrestle this back from Tony?” Bucky doesn’t know and he shakes his head no. “It’s going to be a nightmare. It was almost impossible to get him to fall into line last time, now when he thinks he has power? Ugh.”

Bucky thinks about the man at the counter last night who, despite massive issues between the two of them, held out the white flag and assisted Bucky. He doesn’t see that man really causing all of the problems that Steve is clearly seeing in their future. “Perhaps you could just talk to Tony? Without the King there?”

“T’Challa’s been pretty attached to my boyfriend since we got back.” Steve sighs and a look of worry crosses his features. “I hope he’s not trying to weasel his way into Tony’s bed to use him against me.”

Bucky almost feels like Steve could have ended the statement at ‘weasel his way into Tony’s bed to use him’ instead of tacking on ‘against me’. “Do you think Tony would go for him? Since he’s a free man?” Is what he says instead and Steve looks at him like he’s betrayed him a little. The look hurts and it makes him almost want to take the words back.

“No he isn’t. Tony’s mine Buck.” Bucky shakes his head slowly.

“I heard that you two broke up.” Steve pauses, all the movement in his body freezing.

“Who told you that?”

Bucky thinks about lying for a moment, or being obtuse. He decides against it. “Tony did.”

“When did you talk to Tony?”

“Last night when you were in your meeting. We ran into each other in the kitchen.” Steve looks a little unconvinced.

“And he just told you ‘Steve and I broke up’? Out of the blue?” Bucky shakes his head.

“No, I asked him if he was chasing after the doctor’s skirt. He said he wasn’t.” Steve lets out a snort, like the thought that Tony isn’t trying to get into Helen’s pants is hilarious. “He said he wasn’t looking for any relationships right now, since he just broke up with you.”

“Tony and I didn’t break up.” Bucky looks at Steve’s face. Steve’s shaking his head like this is all a funny joke.

“…does he know that?”

“We’ve talked about it. He made a rash decision, but it’s fine. We’re going to make this work.” He gives a smile to Bucky. “I’m already thinking about things that used to make him happy, like you said.” He waves off any concern. “Tony and I…we’re inevitable.” He glances at the door, almost as if glaring at someone on the other side. “But I don’t trust T’Challa.”

“Maybe you should talk to the others about your fears, about what the King might be up to?” Bucky offers up after a few moments of silence. Steve lets out a calming breath before nodding.

“Yeah, I’m going to have to do that. It’s just…frustrating.” Bucky nods, he may not understand fully what’s bothering Steve, but he can still offer him condolences. “I need to warn Sam, and hopefully get the message out before everyone else gets here and is blindsided by the new _leader_.” Steve rolls his eyes at the word before moving to walk out the door. Bucky remembers Sam, and he stands.

“Do you think I might come along?” Steve pauses and thinks about it, there’s a second before a frown crosses his face.

“You’d have to ask Tony.” Is what he grounds out after he does and Bucky nods once.

“Give me a minute,”

“It’s alright Buck, I’ll go ask for you.” Bucky shakes his head.

“No, I won’t have you playing mediator between Stark and I. If I want permission to leave and he’s the gatekeeper, I’m sure as hell just going to ask him.” Steve looks like he wants to say something, but he’s dissuaded from it by the look of stubbornness that he must see on Bucky’s face.

“Alright, I’ll come with you.” Bucky shakes his head no.

“It’s alright, I’ll be right back.” Bucky leaves the room before Steve replies, and glances up at the ceiling. “FRIDAY?” He calls, unsure. The AI answers him a moment later.

_“Yes Mr. Barnes?”_

“I’d like to speak with Stark, can you ask him if I can?” There’s a pause and he waits for a few moments before the AI replies to him.

 _”Mr. Stark is on his way to the kitchen.”_ He nods and goes, waiting for the brunet to arrive. Tony emerges from the elevator and he looks confused and slightly worried.

“Barnes? Is something wrong? Is it the arm?” Bucky shakes his head no.

“Steve says I need to ask you for permission to leave the Compound.” Tony’s face cringes.

“Why do you want to leave?”

“He’s going to meet that Falcon friend of his. He’s a shrink right?” Tony proves his genius when he immediately gets it.

“Yeah, Wilson is a counselor. It might actually be good to talk with him…if you’re feeling ready for that.” He frowns again and bites his lip, an unsure look on his face. “It wouldn’t be a good idea to leave the Compound…I promise I’m not trying to keep you here just because I can.” He looks like he expected that to be Bucky’s next thought. It wasn’t, Bucky understands that he’s still got a long way to go before he starts making up for the damage he’s caused. “It’s just…while you may have been cleared by the courts, a lot of people aren’t okay with the Winter Soldier being back on American soil.” Bucky nods, and thinks about letting it go before he decides just to be honest with Tony.

“I’d like to make the request in person, and I can handle myself if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” It’s not said like a reproach or an insult, just a carefully spoken statement. “I’m not worried that someone is going to get the drop on you. Just like I wasn’t afraid of someone getting the drop on Wanda. What I’m afraid of is them forcing either of you to defend yourselves and immediately we’re dealing with a much bigger problem.” He rubs his forehead, clearly thinking things over. “If I said yes…would you give me your word on something?”

“Depends on what it is.” Tony gets a small smirk, like he was expecting that answer, the look drops a second later and it’s replaced by a serious one.

“I can have Happy drive you, but you’re not allowed to leave his side. You go to Wilson’s house and you don’t wander anywhere else. Just here and there, can you do that?”

“Your bodyguard?”

“It’s either that or no go.” Bucky nods once and offers his hand. Stark looks at it confused. “What’s that for?”

“We’re going to shake on it.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s what you do when you make a promise.” Stark slowly reaches out and takes his hand, shaking his head and muttering about ‘old timers’ as he leaves to go inform Happy about his new babysitting gig.

Steve’s clearly surprised that Tony allowed the field trip, but immediately grows annoyed by the insistence of the presence of Happy. “What, he thinks I can’t protect you?”

“I don’t think it has to do with that.”

“It’s insulting Buck.”

“He’s covering all of our asses Stevie.”

“No, he’s covering his own, just like he always does.” Bucky feels a moment of frustration on behalf of the billionaire. “So what if he is? Can we go?” Steve grumbles a bit but agrees and allows Happy to drive them off to the Falcon’s house.

For a moment a strange thought crosses Bucky’s mind: What on earth did Stark see in Steve if Steve’s been acting like this?

Sam is surprised to see the three of them, and immediately invites them in. Steve however turns to Happy and blocks his entrance. “Do you mind waiting in the car? We won’t be long, but this is official Avengers business.”

“I go where he goes.” He points at Bucky and Steve smiles like he understands.

“I’m not going to let him out of my sight, and we’re not going anywhere. We just need to talk with Sam for a few minutes in private.”

“Then I can wait with him in the living room.” Steve goes to say something but Happy cuts him off. “Look, Mr. Stark said to stick to him like glue. You want to talk superhero crap that’s fine with me, but he’s not an Avenger so neither of us should be there.”

Bucky has to admit, the guy has spirit. He doesn’t back down from Steve in the slightest and for the first time Bucky understands why Stark kept this one around. “It’s okay Stevie.” Bucky cuts in as Happy practically pushes past Captain America and enters the house. Steve isn’t happy about it, but he doesn’t argue anymore as Sam and him go into the back room to talk. Bucky looks at Happy who is poking around at the pictures and small trophies lying on the bookshelves. “Can I ask you a question?”

“What?”

“How would you describe Stark?” There’s a pause as the other man turns to look at him. “I’m just trying to get a feel for the kind of man he is.” Happy looks anything but his namesake for a few moments.

“He’s a great man, and an amazing friend.” Is what he bites out after a moment. “And you and your buddy over there almost killed him.” Bucky wants to argue that it wasn’t the plan- but he realizes that they went into the fight without one so who was to say it wasn’t? They don’t say anything to each other in the time it takes for Sam and Steve to return.

“Can I…talk to you?” He asks Sam and Sam nods once. Sam motions for them to sit a distance away and Happy watches them like a hawk. “Steve said you helped soldiers…who come back wrong.”

“I help people adjust, and no one comes back wrong. Sometimes there are just things we need to deal with, some people are better a handling it than others but that doesn’t make them wrong.”

“The Doc says I should think about talking to someone…”

“I’d be honored to be that someone if you’d like.” Bucky’s grateful that Sam offered and he does a curt nod. “Absolutely, we can set up sessions wherever and whenever you want. My schedule is pretty free.”

“Can it be here?”

“My house?”

“The Compound…the computer is always recording.” Sam nods, understanding immediately.

“Of course…” He looks torn for a second. “I don’t think we should start today, since we might be overheard and I don’t want to break your confidence with something like that.”

“Stark assigned him to me, he’ll always be there.”

“He’s not who I’m talking about.” Bucky realizes that Sam’s talking about the super soldier serum and the slight hearing advantage. “If you want to start as soon as possible, we can schedule an appointment tomorrow?” Bucky nods once and Sam grins. “Look at us, getting along.” Bucky immediately remembers the Bug incident and grins back. It’s nice, that Sam seems unafraid of what Bucky is, and doesn’t seem to look at him like he’s broken and in need of fixing. Perhaps Steve was right, and this team won’t be too different from the Howling Commandos.

Steve rolls up the privacy window the moment they get back into the car. Bucky thinks he does it in a form of petulance against Happy, but he doesn’t say anything against it. Instead he brings up why they went to Sam in the first place. “What did he say?”

“That he’s not surprised that Tony has the mantle right now, and he’s as worried as I am about Tony being in a position of power.”

“Why?”

“Because of Tony’s unpredictability.”

“Has he been that way on the field before?” Steve shakes his head.

“No, it’s more to deal with what he did on the RAFT.” Bucky frowns, that was the prison that the Avengers were held in by Ross his mind remembers.

“What did he do?”

“He lied to Sam.”

“About what?” Steve waves a hand, gracelessly.

“Tony promised Sam that he would help me if Sam told him where we had gone. Apparently Tony was a really good liar because Sam trusted him, and we all know how that played out.” Bucky’s frown deepens.

“I don’t understand.”

“Tony lied to Sam and betrayed us. Betrayed Sam.” Steve looks tired, like the realization of the other’s behavior is physically exhausting. Bucky is slightly baffled by it.

“He didn’t.” Comes out and Steve looks at him.

“What are you talking about Buck? Of course he did.”

“He came, he came to help you. He came to help me. It wasn’t until he saw the video that he snapped.”

“He should have stuck to his guns. If he was truly there to help us, that video shouldn’t have mattered.” Bucky can’t help but stare at the other. Is he hearing himself? Stark had just been forced to watch his mother get murdered and had been standing in the room with her killer.

“It seems to me that someone like Sam should understand the affect grief has on a person.”

“What do you mean?”

“He helps people dealing with PTSD…Stark has it, and he was triggered.” Bucky’s starting to wonder if maybe he made an incorrect choice in choosing to go to Sam. If the other can’t acknowledge that a video like that could send someone into a violent fit then maybe he wasn’t prepared to deal with the Soldier.

“Oh, well Sam doesn’t know about the video.” Bucky pauses.

“Then what does he think happened?”

Steve shrugs, “Exactly what happened. Tony showed up and then he flipped out. We were forced to defend ourselves and we all went our separate ways.”

Bucky can’t help the word that come out of his mouth following Steve’s statement. “Bullshit.”

“What?”

“That’s not what happened at all Steve. Don’t even pretend that you’re that stupid or naïve. Do any of them know what actually happened in Siberia or did you gloss over all the important parts?”

“The video wasn’t-”

“That video changed _everything_. That makes it pretty damn important.” Steve’s jaw clicks shut, and he gets a frown on his face.

“Bucky…Tony was going to turn against us with or without that video.”

“What makes you say that?” Bucky’s actually curious to hear what this explanation is.

“You saw what he did at the airport. He was there to take us in, he was just waiting for the right moment. Did the video push him to where it made his mask fall? Possibly, but that doesn’t change the fact that he was there as Ross’s lapdog.” Steve’s voice sounds so rational, it’s almost scary. What’s scarier is that Bucky is almost a hundred percent sure that none of it is true. He doesn’t say anything else as they get to the Compound. Happy drops them off at the front door and pulls away.

The moment they walk through the entrance, they hear it. It sounds like chaos, as a familiar voice is yelling in the background. _The Archer_ his mind supplies as Steve mutters the others name as they both take off towards the sound of the disturbance.

When they enter the room everything seems to stand still. It looks like there’s been a small struggle as Bucky’s eyes land on the two of them. Clint has Tony shoved half over the counter, one hand on his throat pushing him back onto it. The other hand is fisted and raised to clearly come down again if the busted lip on the engineer is anything to go by.

Before Steve even has a moment to react, Bucky is already across the area. Even with one arm, the archer is no match for him as he grabs the upraised fist before it can come down and twists the other, slamming him face first into the counter. He’s not even sure when he grabbed a knife from the butcher block but the blade is already at the back of the man’s neck, warning him to make a move. “Are you alright Stark?” He asks.

Tony’s wide eyed as he rolls from his previous location and nods while Steve immediately comes over.

“Bucky! Bucky put the knife down!”

“Not yet.” The voice that escapes him is as cold as the season he’s named for. “If you _ever_ place a hand on him like that again – you’ll lose it. Am I clear?” The other gives the smallest of nods so to not get cut and Bucky backs off, twirling the knife into a better hold just in case he needs to use it in the next few moments to defend himself and Tony.

“Bucky! What was that?” Steve snaps while Clint rolls away from Bucky and stays light on the balls of his feet. If he thinks he can take Bucky or get around him, he’s got another thing coming.

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Is what Bucky replies with. “What made him think he could come in here and attack an injured team mate?” Steve turns to glance at Clint whose fury seems to be reignited by the question.

“Laura left me.” Bucky figures that’s the wife that he was moping about back in Wakanda, the one who wasn’t taking his telephone calls.

“What does that have anything to do with Stark?” He asks and the archers fists clench.

“This is all his fault, his fucking mess. Look at what he’s done now.” Steve places a hand on Clint’s arm.

“Clint calm down, what do you mean Laura left?”

“She’s filed for legal separation. And it’s all _his_ fault.” Steve looks shocked and shoots a glance at Tony.

“That’s not my fault Barton. You chose to get involved in the Accords, you chose to assist Steve when you knew what it meant.” Clint’s face twists into a snarl and he goes to move forward when his eyes settle on Bucky and wisely chooses against it.

“Take him and remove him Steve.” Bucky orders and Steve nods, leading Clint out of the area. Once the danger is passed Bucky places the knife down on the counter and turns to Tony. He’s looking at Bucky like he’s uncertain how to handle what’s just transpired. “Are you alright?”

Tony nods, it’s clear he’s still a little shaken from what’s just happened. Bucky goes over and grabs a napkin, wetting it and coming back over. Tony barely flinches as Bucky places it up to the bloody lip. “You sure?” He inquires again as Tony reaches up and holds it there.

“Yeah…um…thanks for that.” He sounds so surprised, like he wasn’t expecting Bucky to come to his aid or take his side.

It only takes a moment to realize that it goes way beyond that- Tony didn’t expect _anyone_ to come to his aid or side with him.

Tony quickly shuffles back to the elevator and disappears down into his lab and Bucky is left alone in the kitchen wondering what kind of situation he’s found himself in the middle of?


	7. Chapter 7

 

Under no circumstances was he expecting to have to deal with this shit today.

The morning had started out fairly simple. He’d gone out for his obligatory run, he’d made himself a quick breakfast, he’d finished up on a file of potential therapists for Bucky to consider eventually transitioning over to who had more experience with soldiers who had been prisoners of war and other useful areas. Sam could help with the PTSD and the transition back into society, but in order to get the help he really needed, Bucky was going to need to speak with someone who actually had a degree in those specific areas.

On top of all of that though, his mind kept replaying his conversation yesterday with Steve. According to Steve, he’d been unaware that Tony had been made leader of the Avengers in his absence. Sam had figured that it was a given, Iron Man had clearly stepped up into the limelight and the leadership position when Steve and Sam had been off trying to rescue Bucky from his own internal programing.

Truth be told, the number of times that Sam has actually interacted with Tony can be counted on one hand so he’s deferring to Cap’s experience. None of the Avengers know Tony the way Cap does, since most of them seem content to avoid the billionaire at every twist and turn. Sam himself is in no hurry to get to know the brunet either, although probably for pathetically selfish reasons. He was a soldier, and he knows better than most (well other than Wanda) that as much as Stark weapons protected them, Stark weapons were also the things opposing them.

Not that Sam won’t acknowledge Tony’s importance to the team. When Sam first joined the Avengers, Tony made a point of stealing the Falcon wings from him to upgrade them into something beyond what he ever would have imagined them to be capable of. The body armor that he clothed the team in has also saved their hides more times than Sam can count. The thought of him as their leader though? Sam isn’t really sure he likes it. Despite how amazing the Iron Man armor is, Tony is still by default a civilian contractor and is best utilized as their back up strategist and tech guy.

However, Steve’s intention to file a complaint over Tony’s ability to lead the team and push for a vote of no confidence in Iron Man at the meeting tomorrow seems a little…inappropriate. The coup would undoubtedly be successful, forcing Tony to relinquish the position to Steve but Sam’s not really sure that it’s something they should be pushing so soon after the Accords fiasco.

Not that Sam is saying Steve is wrong about the issues he’s bringing up. The Avengers are weak right now, not just in image but in reality as well. They’ve been torn apart because of the old Accords and a lot of people have been trying to take advantage of that. Tony’s been lucky in the interim time between the ‘Civil War’ and the Avengers return, outsourcing to the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to assist Vision and Spider-Man out on the field. Not to mention the new members that he’s managed to recruit to the team including Wasp and the Black Panther himself, but Steve’s sure a larger attack is bound to happen. Having Captain America back in the driver’s seat will show the whole world that the Avengers are still a united front ready to take on any threat coming their way. Sam agrees with this, but at the same time he does see a potential reverse of that.

Call it playing devil’s advocate or whatnot, but Steve didn’t endear himself to a lot of people when he threw out the Accords, and not just big government types but civilians as well. There’s been a lot of pushback from various petitions and pickets from everyday citizens who question the authority of the people who would so readily call themselves heroes. Tony’s done a lot of P.R. damage control, as well as managing to foster some kind of friendly relations with the other two superhero groups in New York who had pretty much ignored the Avengers and had kept them at arm’s length since their inception. If anything, Sam does figure Tony deserves at least a little mention of all the work he’s put into repairing the Avengers image after the Accords fallout.

Looking back, Sam would be the first to admit that he wished they had handled everything differently. Maybe if Steve had managed to actually talk with Tony instead of getting rebuffed by the brunet each time, there could have been less fighting and more compromise. Sam’s sure there was an opportunity for locating a middle ground at some point during that whole chaotic mess, but sadly it never manifested. Now the Avengers were on a tight wire, with dozens and dozens of countries just waiting for something to go wrong so that they could prove that no, the Avengers had not learned their lesson and they were still very much out of control.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The world seemed to hold no animosity for the members who had stayed behind with Iron Man and had agreed to the overall consensus that oversight was necessary, something that people were claiming Captain America proved the necessity of with his stunts on the motorway and at the airport. Sam felt a little powerless as he sat back over the last month and watched as a kind of disillusionment overtook the media and the world. Disillusionment with the image of Captain America and the actual incarnation of it. Steve wasn’t a bad guy, but it was very easy to be swept away by the ‘Star Spangled Man with a Plan’ routine that the world had grown up on. Of course Steve wasn’t going to live up to all that hype, but he did his best. Wasn’t that all anyone could ask for?

Sam sighed and plopped down on the couch, intending to just waste a bit of time before Bucky was scheduled to show up. He picked up the remote and turned on the television. The banner at the top of the news station in angry red letters had him sitting up in the couch and shifting forward:

**_CHAOS ERUPTS AT AVENGERS HEADQUARTERS_ **

The image is of a pretty reporter who is standing outside of the Avengers Compound, and Sam can see dozens of other reporters and cameras in the background as she speaks into the microphone.

 _“-Clinton Barton, more commonly known as ‘Hawkeye’, a former member of the group the Avengers has finally been taken into custody. Sources indicate that he has been charged with breaking and entering as well as felony assault on fellow Avenger member Iron Man, also known as Tony Stark.”_ Sam feels like he’s been hit by a train. The image transitions back to the main hub of the newsroom as the two hosts nod.

 _“In a press conference not long ago, Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts had this to say.”_ The screen turns back to what looks to be an impromptu press conference in front of the Compound as Pepper stands facing all of the cameras. She’s all business, with a frown on her face and the same look in her eyes that she held on the jet coming back from Wakanda.

 _“Mr. Barton is no longer an Avenger and did not have permission to be on the premises at the time of the attack. He was fully aware of this, and yet he still made the conscious decision to break in and seek out Mr. Stark when he was alone at the Compound.”_ She pauses looking around. _“There is no doubt that Mr. Barton entered the premises with the clear intention of causing harm to Mr. Stark and we will be pressing charges to the full extent of the law. Whether he was still an Avenger or not, more was expected of him than this cowardly attack and this shall not be tolerated.”_

The image cuts away and the anchors nod once. _“In a later statement, Miss Potts did confirm that Mr. Stark is expected to make a full recovery at this time.”_

For a moment Sam is unsure if this is some kind of massive joke. Yeah, he knew that Clint blamed Tony for all of the hardships that they were forced to endure during the Accords, and yeah Clint had made certain comments about wanting to put the billionaire in his place, but Sam had never actually expected anything to come of it. It was just the lot of them letting out much needed steam. He quickly turned the channel, seeking greater confirmation of this worst case scenario.

 _“-just shows that we can’t trust them! If someone like Tony Stark, a team mate, can’t be safe around these people then how can the rest of us be?”_ The talk show host laments and their guest nods.

 _“It does show a concerning amount of disregard. Not to mention, this is an assault on the man who has maintained the Avengers.”_ He starts ticking off fingers. _“He’s provided new technology to them that he has refused to share with the world so as to keep them ahead of the curve, he’s funded their missions as well as their housing. Not to mention the damage control he takes care of for them after they fly off halfcocked to ‘go save the world’. My question is this: who is going to save us from them if they’ve shown that they’ll bite the hand that feeds them?”_ Two channels isn’t really definitive proof, Sam tries again and he’s met with another news station who seems to be interviewing some kind of doctor from the looks of it. She looks familiar to Sam and it takes him a moment to realize that she's Helen Cho’s assistant. The one who has always remained hidden in the background, uneager to interact with the team.

The reporter is talking into the microphone. _“And you say that this kind of abuse isn’t a new occurrence with the Avengers?”_ He holds it out for her and she shakes her head.

_“No, as a doctor I’ve seen many concerning interactions between Mr. Stark and the other Avengers but none as worrying to me as an incident that occurred between Mr. Stark and Thor right after the Ultron program came online.”_

_“Thor of Asgard?"_  She nods. _"And this was before it was proven that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner didn’t create Ultron?”_ She nods. _“May I ask what happened?”_

_“When Thor first heard about Ultron he stormed across the lab and grabbed Mr. Stark by the throat. He lifted him completely off his feet, dragged him a few feet and held him there.”_

_“Where were the other Avengers?”_ He asks and she does a helpless gesture with her hands.

 _“They were standing right there. They didn’t even uncross their arms or sit up or show any form of concern for Stark’s wellbeing.”_ She shakes her head and has a look on her face like the memory of the event is troubling. _“It was terrifying to watch the lack of concern that any of them expressed. It made me actually wonder, if they’d treat Tony Stark like that…how would they treat someone they didn’t know?”_

_“And just to be clear- was Mr. Stark in or out of the Iron Man suit?”_

Her next words sound like a guillotine dropping. _“He was out of it.”_ The reporter frowns and his look is mirrored by everyone else. Sam wants to call in and argue that they’re misrepresenting what happened…but he can’t, not really.

Thor did strangle Tony.

They were all there and none of them stepped forward to help him.

However, context does have to be looked at for these kind of events. They even acknowledged that this was before anyone found out that Tony had not in fact created a psychotic murder bot in that very lab. It was understandable that Thor had been frustrated, he had warned Tony multiple times not to mess with technology that he didn’t understand. Even if Tony hadn’t fully created Ultron, he had still offered the opportunity for Ultron to come online and create for himself a body that allowed for him to terrorize hundreds of thousands of people and almost end the world.

A nagging voice in the back of his mind is telling him the only reason that he’s focusing on the Ultron part of the whole thing is because if he doesn’t then he’ll have to acknowledge that he was an enabler who stood still and did nothing while someone was attacked not ten feet from him. Someone who didn’t even raise his hands to protect himself or fight back. Instead all he had argued was that it was impossible that Ultron was the same Ultron programing that Bruce and him had worked on and argued the need for something like it because of extra-terrestrial threats.

…Threats like Thor. Threats like Loki. Threats like Ultron and Wanda.

Sam’s not really sure how long he’s been sitting there watching the news and various outlets deal with the knowledge of the attack at the Compound when the doorbell rings. Getting up he looks through the small opening and sees Happy and Bucky standing outside.

“I’m surprised you still made it.” Is what he says as he opens the door and Bucky just does a curt nod while Happy says nothing in response. Once they get inside, he figures that the session can wait a few moments in order to get first hand answers and none of this media biased bullshit. “What happened? Between Clint and Tony?”

“Barton knocked him around a bit in the kitchen before Steve and I got back.” He pauses, a dark look entering his eyes. “Had a second fight with him when Potts showed up…” Sam feels a little bit of the last piece of hope leave him, but he doesn’t poke at the trailing off.

“Just like that? Why?”

“His dame left him, he felt Tony was responsible.” Sam cringes as that settles in. He remembered Clint mentioning something about how he was going to tear Tony a new one if Laura didn’t pick up the phone and talk with him.

“I know that tempers were high, but I didn’t actually think that Clint would attack Tony.” He sighs. “Besides, unless Laura left Clint for Tony I don’t see how Tony has anything to do with that.” He watches the two of them relax a little and he clarifies. “…Tony’s not hooking up with Mrs. Barton is he?”

“No, he isn’t.” Happy answers him and he nods relieved. That would have been a nightmare. Well…more so than this one.

Sam waves towards the living room. “I’ve been watching the news…they’re lynching us out there.”

“Nothing undeserved.” Happy mutters and Sam opts to ignore the jab.

“What’s happening now? Is Tony kicking you guys out of the Compound?” He gets two blank looks. “Because I only have one spare bedroom, but the couch comes out as a bed and you and Steve can crash here…Wanda too I guess, but she’d get the bedroom, you’d have the couch.”

“Stark isn’t kicking us out. Potts wanted to for a while there, but I guess he overruled her.”

Sam nods, makes a little bit of sense. Steve’s told Sam that Tony can be childish at times and constantly threating to take their toys away but that sometimes he can be an adult about things. “Is he alright? And do either of you know what’s going to happen now?”

“Mr. Stark’s with Doctor Cho right now. Between ‘Captain America’ and ‘Hawkeye’ he’s back in the Cradle.” Happy practically snarls and Sam rubs his forehead.

“How badly was he was hurt? What happened, what did Clint do?”

“Aggravated his wounds from Siberia. Left a few new ones.” Sam looks at them confused.

“Wait, Tony was hurt in Siberia? When?” Happy gives Sam a look like he’s a moron and Happy just can’t deal with his stupidity right now while Bucky gets a darkly serious look.

“What did Steve tell you happened in Siberia?” Is what he asks and Sam shrugs.

“He said that you guys showed up and Zemo had already dispatched with the other Winter Soldiers. Tony showed up as Ross’s guard dog and at one point attacked you guys. Tony took your arm and his shield and you guys got away.” Happy lets out a few choice words, while Bucky shakes his head.

“That’s not what happened.”

Sam’s starting to get a bad feeling about this. A strange inkling in his gut that tells him he doesn’t want to go down this rabbit hole, but at the same time he has no choice. “I think we’re going to need coffee for this aren’t we?” He motions towards the kitchen and gets them the promised drink before sitting down opposite the two of them at the table. “Alright, spill. What happened?”

There’s a moment of silence before Bucky starts talking. It seems like he doesn’t want to say any of this out loud, but pushes through it anyways. “Steve and I went to the Hydra base, Stark showed up shortly after and offered the white flag. We went in together to find the Winter Soldier Core dead in their sleep and Zemo was waiting for us.” He shakes his head. “Zemo knew Iron Man was going to arrive at some point, he was waiting for him. Once we were all in the room Zemo played a video depicting one of my missions. An attack on a man and a woman in a car on the side of the road.” Bucky’s hand clenches. “It was Maria and Howard Stark.”

It feels like the air has been punched out of him. Steve never mentioned any video. “I thought that was a car accident…you mean?”

“It was an assassination. Hydra wanted what Howard had in the trunk…I didn’t even remember that I knew them…” He shakes his head, coming out of the misery. “Stark asked Steve if he’d known about it. If he’d known that I had killed his parents. It seemed really important to Stark that Steve either deny or confess it, but Steve said he did. Stark snapped and attacked us. We fought back, it wasn’t…after he blew off my arm Steve got him down and just started smashing down on him. Broken the suit by slamming the shield into the battery on the chest…” Bucky seems to be getting upset as he retells what happened. “He couldn’t even get up and we just left him there. The suit was broken and we left him behind…you’re never supposed to leave a soldier behind but that’s what we did.”

Sam doesn’t say anything to the confession. He knows what Bucky is talking about with Steve and Tony. Steve had made such a big deal about Tony keeping secrets from the team, that Tony was in the wrong because he hadn’t shared important information with the rest of them. Sam had thought that a few times Steve had been heavy handed with those constant reminders after Ultron to Tony anytime Tony seemed to not give a full story, be it with Stark Industries information or Avengers stuff. But Steve had never let Sam look at the file that Natasha had made for him regarding the Winter Soldier. She had warned him that some threads shouldn’t be pulled…she was talking about the Stark family wasn’t she?

And god, Tony. Having to watch that? Why didn’t Steve mention that video? That seems more likely the source for Tony’s sudden (although not at all random like Steve made it seem) snap that had placed the two soldiers in harm’s way.

Sam wanted to rub his hand over his face, but opted against it. Instead pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind as he went into the office with Bucky and followed through on his promise to listen as well as offer the other therapists for Bucky’s inspection.

-           -           -           -           -

“May I come in?” Steve looks surprised to see him, nodding as Sam enters his room. “I heard it’s been a crazy last few days.” He offers to the other and Steve nods.

“That’s a nice way of putting it.” Sam lets him relax onto the edge of his bed before approaching the reason why he came back to the compound with Bucky and Happy.

“Hey Steve, can I talk to you about something real quick?”

He nods. “As long as it doesn’t have to deal with Tony, I’m all game.” Sam cringes a little at the statement.

“Actually…it does.”

Steve rolls his eyes, “It always does. What happened?”

“I had a talk with Bucky today.” Is how Sam decides to start down this particular path way. “He came by after the Clint thing.”

“The ‘Clint thing’ was a disaster.” Steve mutters and Sam presses on.

“We had an interesting conversation, something that I feel I need to talk with you about.”

Steve’s head pops up, a look of worry on his face. “Is Bucky okay?”

“He’s fine, he just filled me in on a couple extra events up in Siberia that I don’t remember being in your briefing when you broke us all out of the raft.”

“What’d he say?”

“He said that Zemo showed Tony a video of Bucky murdering his parents and that you knew about it for years and didn’t say anything to him.” To be honest, Sam’s not really sure what he’s expecting from Steve. Perhaps embarrassment, maybe even a healthy dose of shame. What he gets isn’t a hundred percent either of those, but Sam can’t really say where it falls on the spectrum, if it’s even on it.

“Tony doesn’t talk about his parents, and he doesn’t like it when anyone brings them up. When did he think I was going to have time to tell him? It was in the past, it was done. Nothing I said was going to change it Sam, so I decided to spare him from that pain. I mean, he doesn’t respond rationally in the best case scenarios- I didn’t want Iron Man going off the rails and hunting down Bucky when Bucky was innocent. I was sparing Tony, and he knows that.”

“Tony’s alright with the fact that you didn’t tell him about his parents being murdered?” There’s a healthy amount of disbelief in Sam’s question.

“In time, Tony will realize that I did it for him.” Steve glances at him, an earnest look on his face. “I didn’t want to cause him pain, and I didn’t want to cause Bucky more pain. How am I the bad guy here?”

Sam figures that he makes a little bit of a point. “Yeah, but you still withheld important information from him. Which is kind of…insulting considering how often you remind him that secrets aren’t something a team keeps from each other.” Steve goes to say something but Sam holds up his hand. “I get it, you didn’t want to poke at the giant wound that everyone knows exists. That doesn’t change the fact that had you been honest with Tony years ago when you first figured it out you might have prevented what happened in Siberia.”

“Siberia wasn’t my fault Sam. It was Zemo’s.” Sam nods.

“To a point. It’s Zemo’s in the fact that he used the information to play you guys and get his agenda across. However it’s yours that he even had the opportunity to do it.” Steve sighs and nods.

“I know…I know.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’ve tried apologizing to Tony, but he won’t have it. He’s refusing to acknowledge that we both made mistakes and I’m trying to mend this bridge but each time I try I feel like I’m taking one step forward, three steps back.”

Sam lets Steve have his moment of inflection before he presses the next issue. “I don’t think I can back your play tomorrow.” Steve’s head snaps up to look at him, the look of confusion quickly shifting to betrayal.

“What? I don’t understand, I thought you said you agreed with me?”

“I do, Tony might not be the best leader for the Avengers. That’s entirely possible, but right now…I don’t think you are either.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong Sam.”

Sam shakes his head. “Yeah, you kind of did. As a friend, as Tony’s friend, you did a dick move not telling him about his parents. That I can let go because that falls a little more under ‘personal issues’ then ‘team issues’. However, what I can’t stand behind is that you lead us to believe that Tony lied to me and went to Siberia with the clear intention of hunting the two of you down.”

“I never said that.” Steve says as he shakes his head and Sam crosses his arms.

“Yeah you did Steve. You implied it when you didn’t tell us about the video. You made it seem that he went there with the sheer intent of capturing the two of you and failed.” He holds up a hand again before Steve interrupts. “And even if I could ignore _that_ , which I can’t, you left an injured team mate in broken armor in a hostile environment. You told us he was fine, that you all just walked away.”

“We did. He’s here.”

“He’s in the Cradle as we speak, and that’s from injuries that, while Clint made worse, I’m under the impression he received when you took the shield and jammed it repeatedly into his chest to disable the suit. Unless I’m wrong about that?”

Steve shook his head. “He was fine, whatever injuries he’s in the cradle for has nothing to do with me. I know my strength Sam, I’ve sparred with all of you plenty of times. Have I ever used excessive force? Have I ever gone too far? I only used the force I needed to power down the suit. Tony was fine when I left him.”

“Are you sure about that?” Sam asks. “I mean did you check?”

“He was yelling at me, he was clearly fine. If he hadn’t been do you think he would have demanded that I leave the shield?”

“I think it was possible that he was still on adrenaline and might not have realized the damage done to himself.”

“He showed no signs of being significantly damaged. I wasn’t trying to hurt him Sam, I would never do that. Not to Tony. He was upset and he was irrational. He may have been trying to maim or injure Bucky and me, but I wasn’t going to do the same to him.” Sam pauses as he thinks about what Steve is saying.

“Even with that, I don’t think I can back you tomorrow.”

“You’re my friend Sam, I thought you had my back?”

“I do, and even putting the Tony thing aside, I can’t say that putting ‘Captain America’ back in charge of the Avengers will play out in our favor.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you been watching the news today? It’s not Avenger friendly. Tony’s just been victimized by a previous member of his team and if we turn around the day after that and declare him unfit to lead the team…I think we’re going to have a much bigger problem on our hands then just Pepper.” He frowns. “And between you and me, Pepper’s terrifying enough on her own.”

Steve’s got his thinking face on and Sam feels a little relieved when he nods. “I think you’re right. This isn’t the time to spring this, so I think leaving Tony as the leader in name should work. But behind closed doors we need another.”

“Tony’s never going to agree to that.”

“I know, but the Avengers won’t follow Tony’s lead in battle. They’ll follow mine though, so if we came up with a joint sort of understanding.”

“That’s something you’ll have to run across Tony. Heads up, I don’t want to be there for that.” Steve shook his head.

“Tony’s going to be with Dr. Cho all night. I won’t have a chance to speak with him before the meeting.”

Sam watches Steve try to think out a solution to the problem he’s presented him with. He’s not one hundred percent sure what Steve’s answer will be, but for some reason Sam is already feeling stress over the meeting tomorrow. This is not going to go down well, regardless of good intentions or whatnot.

A thought crosses his mind and it takes him a moment before he makes a decision. “I’m going to broach the Siberia subject in the meeting.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I think it’s important that everyone knows what truly went down, and not the half assed version we got before.”

“That’ll only poke at the wounds Sam. And Tony won’t appreciate having that thrown out in front of everyone.” Sam nods, he agrees with Steve. Tony does tend to play things to the chest, it’s one of the only things that Sam is certain about the brunet. Well, that and he makes really awesome toys.

Red Wing is awesome and adorable, regardless of what Natasha says.

“I think that’s probably true, however you already brought it to the team’s level when you gave us an incomplete version of what happened. I don’t know if you realized, but your retelling caused a lot of people, and by a lot of people I mean myself, Wanda, Clint and Scott to believe that Tony was a lying, betraying sack of shit who needed a serious wake up call. This is a belief that most of us are still under. I think it contributed to Clint’s attack, I think it has the potential to contribute to other issues out on the field. As you said, none of us will follow him right now but that’s because we’re under the impression that he’s a power hungry backstabber. This isn’t true however, or at least not in this case. I think everyone has a right to know and the sooner we get it out the sooner we can start to work past it.”

“I really don’t think it’s necessary, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to drag out in front of everyone. If you want me to tell Wanda and Scott about the video I’ll do that, but I don’t think we should do it in front of Tony himself.”

Sam thinks about Steve’s offer. He nods his head slowly. “That’ll work, but I just want to make sure that everyone knows the truth.”

“I’ll tell them Sam. I promise.”

Sam sighs. “Okay.” He concedes and Steve smiles.

“Thank you Sam.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Steve.” The voice behind him makes every muscle in his body tense at the sudden existence of another presence in the room, but the recognition of the speaker keeps it at bay. Steve turns to take in the red head leaning up against the wall to his left. Natasha is looking well, her body stance is as casual as she gets and Steve is pleased to see she looks well rested.

“Natasha.” He greets and she inclines her head. There’s a moment where Steve’s about to ask her what she’s doing in his room before she cuts him off.

“What happened?” For a brief second, Steve isn’t sure what she’s asking about before it hits him. He shakes his head as he walks over to the bed where he’s laid out his shirt for the day and slips it on.

“Clint got a little rough with Tony.” Natasha gets a small scowl on her face.

“Why didn’t you do something?”

Steve lets out a small sigh. “I would have Nat, you know I would. I thought it had all blown over, but Miss Potts came in and must have gotten Tony all riled up.”

There’s a momentary pause. “Did Clint hurt him?” ‘Like they’re saying on the news’ isn’t tacked onto the sentence but Steve hears it. He shakes his head.

“Clint’s sparred harder with Tony than that.” Her frown deepens. “Not that I’m saying what Clint did was okay, because it wasn’t.” He feels the need to clarify before continuing. “But Tony’s taken a lot worse than that, he’s no whimpering victim like Pepper made him out to be.”

“You should have kept this in house.” She admonishes and Steve nods.

“I know, I had already had a talk with Clint about his behavior and I’d already handled it when Pepper showed up. To be fair, I don’t think Tony had anything to do with calling the cops. He should have stopped her, but I don’t think he actively tried to get Clint arrested.”

Natasha crosses her arms. “This is bad.” He nods, but she shakes her head. “No Steve, I’m not just talking bad publicity. Clint has a lot of enemies and now he’s helpless in a cell. Not to mention this undermines the Avengers return.”

“I know Nat. I know.”

“We need to do something about this.”

“We will.” He pauses and amends. “I will, I’ll talk to Tony. Get him to see reason and to drop the charges. We’ll get Clint back as soon as possible.”

“This was supposed to be a good thing, all of you coming back home.” She sounds like she’s searching for answers as to why this is less than the stellar welcome back that they were all hoping for.

“I know that too.”

Natasha takes him in for a moment, and he’s always felt like a bug under one of Tony’s microscopes when she does that. “Remember when I told you that I was reading the terrain?” He nods and she continues, a heavy weight to her words. “Well I’m reading the terrain. I almost didn’t come back until I saw the news. This isn’t good Steve. If we don’t get a handle on this, and quickly, we could be looking at a resurgence of people who might think that the original Accords are the way to go.”

There’s a moment of sickening fear at that thought. Steve just got finished fighting the Accords, he risked everything and paid a heavy price dealing with that evil legislation. He can’t let it get back to that. “I know Nat.” He feels like a broken record, but that’s all he can say at this moment. “Things keep getting out of hand. Every time I put out one fire I feel like someone has gone behind my back and lit four more.”

“Someone?”

“Not just Tony.” He clarifies. “I mean Pepper isn’t on our side. If I were paranoid I’d say she wants us all locked up and would be willing to do almost anything to see it happen.”

“That’s not good. All things considering.” She clearly means something specific and Steve tilts his head.

“All things considering? What do you mean?”

“You don’t know?” She looks upwards as if lamenting to whatever spy gods she prays to about the stupid people she’s stuck working with. “Pepper is an extended Avenger now.”

“What?” Steve hasn’t heard this. When did this happen? What does that even mean?

Natasha nods. “Tony made her a suit of armor. She’s only backup in extreme cases, but she was still put on the ‘Avengers board’ while you were away.” Natasha’s words make terrible sense the moment Steve’s mind remembers Pepper in the plane. She’d said that she’d voted with the other Avengers, but he had figured that she meant that she’d voted in place of Tony who had been unavailable. He didn’t know that Tony had _weaponized_ his ex-girlfriend. For a moment Steve almost wants to rip his hair out. How many people did Tony just add to the team while Steve was gone anyways? Who gave him the right to add members when the rest of the team wasn’t there to allow it and to just expect them to be okay with it?

“Great, so Pepper is actively out to get us and she’s on the ‘Board’ now.” Steve shakes his head and looks away, thinking. “What do you know about the Wasp?” He’s clearly asking for a report.

“Hope Van Dyne? Owner of Pym Tech?” Steve nods and Natasha shrugs before giving a quick report. “The Wasp suit is a variation of the Ant-Man suit, it uses the same chemicals and technology. She’s grandfathered in, her mother used to wear the suit before she was killed in action. Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man before Scott worked alongside SHIELD with Howard and Peggy.”

“Is she an ally?”

Natasha seems to think about it. “Perhaps. She has almost as many ‘Daddy Issues’ as Stark does, but unlike Stark you can’t guide her with it. She seems tolerant of Tony to a point, but Pym hates him.”

“What did Tony do to him?”

She shrugs. “What he did to most people.” At his blank look she continued. “He was born Howard Stark’s son. Sins of the father sort of thing.”

“Tony did more than enough on his own to garner any ill will without trying to dump it all back on Howard.” She doesn’t say anything to that. “So, Pro-Accords or one of us?”

“Pro-Accords, but so is Pym so you’ll have no luck there.”

“What about Scott? Do you think they got to him?”

“Undoubtedly. And even if they didn’t, in theory they could just take the suit away and give it to someone else. He has no control over it, so he probably won’t go against them again if they pull rank. Not if he wants to remain a ‘superhero’.” That’s not good to hear, but Steve was already expecting it. Scott was a great guy, but he had folded the second he saw Hope.

“Spider-Man?”

“Harder to track, Tony’s been keeping him very well protected. I’d easily guess high school student, but he had obvious hero worship towards Stark when we were on the way to go get you, so I wouldn’t count him voting against anything Tony promotes.” Steve remembers when Spider-Man showed up on the scene, completely floundering over himself to impress Tony but not really interested in Steve or his cause. Steve was going to have to do something about that, make Spider-Man realize that the sun didn’t shine out of Tony’s behind and that sometimes you had to realize that you didn’t need to follow your idol into battle.

“What about the Black Panther?” There must have been something in his voice because Natasha arches an eyebrow.

“Not much to say on that front either. You’ve been closer and spent more time with him than I have.”

“You didn’t pick anything up during your time together.”

“He maintained his distance. He is a one track mind sort of person, everything was catching the Winter Soldier to him. Nothing else mattered.”

“I think he’s trying to get the Accords reinstated.” She nods once, like this isn’t news.

“The Accords have always been his focus. It’s probably higher on the list now.” He hears her previous sentence echo in his mind: He’s a one track mind sort of person, nothing else mattered. That didn’t bode good things.

“I need you to keep an eye on him. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course boss.” Steve felt a weight lift, this is how the team should work. Not this broken, scraggly thing that was happening. He grabs his jacket and slips it on. “I’ll go see if I can catch Tony before the meeting, I’ll see you in there?” She nods and Steve goes to slip out of the room. He pauses at the door. “It’s good to see you back Natasha. We need you here.”

Her lips quirk. “Don’t I know that.” Steve shakes his head with an amused smile as he leaves the room.

Tony hasn’t been seen since Pepper disappeared with him prior to the police showing up, but Steve knows where to start. The meeting is soon, so Stark will have to emerge from his lower lab to make it to the conference room. All Steve has to do is wait for him.

He doesn’t have to wait long, he sees Tony exit the elevator, fixing his cufflinks and starting to make his way across the open area. Steve waits for him to get to a place where Tony can see him and then he’ll come out, but someone else catches Tony’s attention first.

“Stark!” Doctor Cho emerges from the emergency stairwell and looks like she’s just ran up the two flights in her haste to catch up with Tony. Her voice doesn’t sound happy at all and Tony cringes. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Tony motions towards the conference room. “The Meeting, you knew about it.”

“You can’t be up, you need to let us finish running the tests. You can’t just have your computer override my access code and let you out whenever you want.” Steve takes a small step back, this is information. This is information that Tony has been refusing to relinquish to him. What tests is Doctor Cho talking about?

“The scans showed normal parameters.” Tony’s voice is calm, and it’s the same voice he uses whenever he’s doing damage control with Pepper or sometimes even Steve himself.

“You know as well as I do that’s a lie. There are no normal parameters for this.”

“Okay, fair. It’s within the acceptable limits then?”

“Tony.” She puts a whole lot of worry into one word and Stark seems to crumble under it.

“Let me handle this meeting Helen okay? And then I promise, I’ll lay there like a good lab rat and let you take all the scans and tests that you want to run.”

“Just reschedule it. They’ll understand.” Tony shakes his head.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because we’d have to wait a whole week before we could try again and too much is happening right now for that to be a good option.”

“Why can’t you have it during the week?”

“Because those are school nights, and I’ve been reliably informed that homework is a fickle mistress.” She sighs at his smile. “Helen, I’ll come right back down. I promise.”

She looks like she wants to argue, but she straightens herself out. “I’m holding you to that. And Stark?”

“Yeah?”

“Override my access codes again and not even Extremis will save you.” Extremis? The chemical compound that the Mandarin was using to create human bombs? What did Extremis have to do with Tony? Was Tony using Extremis? To heal? That’d be foolish, and Steve hoped that Tony wasn’t that dumb. Extremis was far too volatile to deal with just for a few scrapes and bruises.

Was that why Tony was wearing the cast? So that people assumed he was still injured when he actually wasn’t?

Steve cast a quick glance over the brunet and his worst fears were verified. Tony’s busted lip was healed, there was no lingering bruising or cut to be seen. Steve clenched his fists. This! This right here was important information that Tony needed to share with the rest of them. They had needed to know that Tony had put an untested, unperfected virus into his body that acted like a time bomb.

What if it had been triggered? If they had known about it, then Clint wouldn’t have put his hands on him to begin with. But by not telling them Tony had put all of their lives in jeopardy. What if he had blown in the kitchen? He’d have taken them all out, and just because he was _keeping_ _secrets_ from Steve again.

Steve watched as Helen walked away, choosing to use the elevator this time and the moment she’s gone, the moment Tony thinks he’s alone- all of that poise, all of that arrogance melts away leaving Tony looking shaken. He rubs a hand over his face, taking a deep breath before turning around and practically running into Steve. Immediately, Tony’s face smooths out as the vapid mask goes back into place.

For a moment, Steve misses the times when Tony wouldn’t have bothered. He misses how the inventor would lean on him and share his fears, back when he let Steve be there for him. When did Tony push him so far away?

“We need to talk.” Steve keeps his voice level, he doesn’t want Tony feeling like he’s ambushing him and the other man just takes a small step back before motioning for him to go. “Did you want to go somewhere private?”

“No, the meeting is in less than ten. I’d rather not be late.”

Steve struggles with where to start. He had one intention when he sought out Tony earlier, but now he has so many other issues that he needs to discuss with him. They need more than ten minutes for all of this, but Steve’s going to have to make it work. “I wanted to talk to you real quick about Clint.”

“What about him?” The Stark Poker Face is in play and Steve presses on gently.

“I was hoping that we could talk about what happened.” There’s a brief pause before the face falls a little and Tony shrugs.

“You know what happened, FRIDAY went offline for a few minutes and I came up to determine what, or who in this case, had caused the malfunction.” He looks away. “I never thought that when I showed you guys how to disable the AI in the building that one of you would use it against me.” There’s a haunted tone in his voice, a small tremor that makes Steve feel like Tony is taking Clint pushing the off button much more personally then is probably necessary. “Anyways, I came up and I saw him there.” He does a motion with his hand. “And the rest is history. Barely got his name out before he decked me.”

“Clint shouldn’t have done that.” Tony lets out a small chuckle as he shrugs. “But…felony assault Tony? Isn’t that going just a little bit…far?” There’s a pause where Tony searches his face, and takes another step back.

“Wait…you didn’t come here to talk to me about what happened did you? You came to tell me to drop the charges.”

“I’m not saying what he did was right, but I think you’re taking it a little farther than it needs to go.”

Steve almost wants to reach out when Tony puts another step of space between them. His face closing off. “Wait, so how far does it need to go Steve before I should do something about it? Punching my lights out isn’t enough, so where’s the line? When he broke a bone? Or no, how about if he just started taking swings to my chest until I stopped fighting back? Wait- no I know how you feel about that one - that’s still not enough, so what is Steve? When he paralyzes me? Would that be enough? When he kills me?”

“Tony.”

“No, no, no. I’m still trying to figure out where the line is Steve. Where is it? How much should I take before I call in help? How much should I allow before there has to be some kind of consequence?”

“I’m not saying there shouldn’t be consequences, but make them equal to the crime.”

“If he’d been anyone else, just some random guy on the street and had done that, would you be telling me right now to let him off?” Steve goes to say something but Tony cuts him off. “Don’t even lie Rogers, you wouldn’t give a damn.”

“Clint wasn’t a threat to you Tony and you know it. Locking him up on a whim makes you no better than Ross.” The moment the words are out of his mouth, Steve knows he’s said the wrong thing. This isn’t going to make Tony see his point, obviously this is just going to create more of a dam between them and Tony will make Clint pay the price. “I’m sorry Tony, I don’t mean to be cruel but I have to call it like I see it.”

“You’re an arrogant, blind asshole then _Cap_.” Tony’s voice is low, almost to a whisper like he’s forcing it past his vocal cords.

“And you’re hiding things and breaking this team apart.” Tony goes to say something but Steve takes a step forward into the brunet’s space. “Extremis Tony?”

Immediately all of the color leaves Tony’s face. “What?” He gets out and Steve shakes his head.

“Why didn’t you tell us you’d taken Extremis? What were you _thinking_ Tony?”

“Thinking?” He parrots, a little of that ice coming back into his tone.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t have time to tell us about it, because you had ample time. I’ve been asking what’s wrong with you and you’ve brushed it off. I’ve seen the files Tony, I know what happens with Extremis subjects when they’re subjected to damage. What if you had blown?”

The fire is back now. “Are you asking because you’re concerned about me or because I would have killed _Barton_?”

“I’m concerned about you too Tony. Stop acting like I’m not, because you know that’s not true.” The laugh that comes from Tony’s lips is caustic and cruel.

Things are about to get worse, Steve can feel it like a storm brewing. “You care about me? Really Rogers? Because I don’t remember your fucking ‘care’ when you left me lying there with a crushed ribcage and no power to save myself. If Vision hadn’t come when he did- if FRIDAY hadn’t sent the distress signal when she did then I would have _died_ Steve…but oh wait that’s right- I should have been focusing on how much you _cared_ about me and not on how I was _suffocating_.”

“I didn’t do that-”

“Own up to it Rogers, because I have a plethora of medical tests and surgeries that prove you did.” Steve feels a little sick. Tony’s wrong, he’s lying- Steve would never hurt him like he’s claiming. _Never._ “I was dying and my only hope was fucking _Extremis_ – Aldrich is laughing from whatever hell he’s down in right now. So don’t you dare say to me ‘how could you risk _someone else’s_ life’ and then proclaim to care about me.” Tony reclaims the space between them with a sneer on his face. “How I ever loved you is beyond me.”

Those eight little words snap something in Steve. They’re cold and they’re cruel and they’re lies. Steve knows they are. “I know you still love me Tony.” He feels the urge to shake Tony until Tony admits to it, and Tony tilts his head to the side in a kind of surrender.

“You’re right, I do.” The pressure eases a little. “But now I understand what Pepper meant when she told me that she loved me, but she was no longer ‘in love with me’.” Steve goes to say something to that when Tony’s eyes go past his shoulder and he stands up straighter. Steve casts a glance to see what he saw and he sees T’Challa standing there.

For a moment Steve just wants to lash out at the Wakandan King for a little _privacy_. That this has nothing to do with him and it’s between him and Tony – but Tony gets a smile and steps around Steve. “Is it time?” He asks the other man and T’Challa nods at him, following Tony towards the conference room. Steve follows after them and grits his teeth a little as T’Challa leans towards Tony, whispering in his ear. Tony nods and waves him off, saying he’s fine as they enter the room.

Spider-Man immediately pops up upon seeing Tony, and Steve almost wants to smile since he’s the only one in costume. “Hey Mr. Stark!” He greets with an enthused air and Tony’s eyes soften around the edges.

“Hey kid. Glad you could make it.” The kid nods, and even though Steve can’t see his face it’s obvious that he’s clearly grinning from ear to ear at the billionaire who takes the seat next to him.

Steve’s momentary pause costs him the seat on the other side of Tony when T’Challa sits down at it.

“Thanks for the upgrades!” Spider-Man’s whisper isn’t at the whispering decibel and Tony smiles, it’s a real smile, none of the ones he’s given Steve up till now.

“Anytime.” Tony turns to look at everyone else who is standing around the area. “We ready?” There’s a little bit of shuffling before the others sit down. Tony glances around the table, clearly noticing the one member who isn’t present. “Has anyone heard from Bruce?” He gives a look to Vision and Rhodes who both shake their head. “FRIDAY?”

 _‘On his way in Boss.’_ Almost as if summoned by their questioning, Bruce shuffles into the conference room. Unlike Natasha before him, Bruce doesn’t look better for all his time away. He looks tense and like he’s on a hair trigger. His eyes glance over all of them before inclining slightly and taking the empty seat next to Spider-Man. Bruce glances at Tony who does a one finger little wave to him. Steve almost wants to shake his head at Tony’s almost mocking greeting to the doctor but instead of showing any signs of going big and green, Bruce gets a little smile and seems to relax a bit. Tony grins before cracking his knuckles and diving in.

“So, there are some things we need to discuss. I’m going to open the floor for anyone who feels like something needs to be added, but hopefully this all goes as painlessly as possible. First manner of business, the Avengers Accords.” Half of the people at the table tense at the mention of the new Accords as Tony motions to T’Challa. “Take it away.”

“As of right now, each of you should have your concerns drawn up in a file detailing the problems with the first Accords as well as your ideas or suggestions?” He glances around the table and each give a nod in turn. “We’ll be pulling those all together and get it sent into the Legal department to get them legalized before we begin the ratification process. If at any time, any new concerns happen or you feel you have forgotten to add something please feel free to approach either Mr. Stark or I and we will endeavor to include it within the Accords process.”

Steve turns his chair a little to take in the king. “Are each of our concerns going to be met in these new documents? What exactly are the new Accords looking like?”

T’Challa nods once. “Each of your concerns, will be taken into account during this process.”

“Who decides what ideas are valid and which aren’t?” Natasha’s question is an echo of the thoughts crossing Steve’s mind and T’Challa motions around the table with one hand.

“The very people sitting at this table.”

“Who gets final say?” Steve asks and T’Challa tilts his head.

“All of us, ideally. In the end, the United Nations will decide if the Avengers Accords are satisfactory or if certain things need to be addressed. This is much further down the line of course, but something we should all keep in mind.”

“And if they refuse our offers?”

T’Challa glances at him fully before he speaks. “Both groups have agreed, in good faith, to honestly try and reach a beneficial and agreed upon result. I do not believe that at this time you should already be taking into account possible scenarios where one or both sides are unable to find a compromise. Instead we should be working on managing what we need, what we want and what we can do without.”

There isn’t an immediate reply to T’Challa’s statement and Steve’s a little surprised that Tony’s not talking all of their ears off already. The brunet tends to hate silence, and is always more than happy to hear the sound of his own voice in moments off drawn off conversation.

A moment later, Tony doesn’t disappoint. “Alright, I’ve got two things to bring to attention. One: Wanda.” The young woman’s head snaps over to Tony, her fists clenched under the table. “I have good news, I’ve done a bit of research and finagling and I’ve managed to get you a teacher of sorts.” Tony gets a big grin at his news and Wanda doesn’t respond to it. It causes him to deflate a little, but he covers it up a moment later. “I know that you’ve been having problems with your powers, and that Vision hasn’t been able to assist you as far as we might all like…”

“Vision is a perfect teacher.”

“You are incorrect Miss Maximoff.” Vision interjects before Tony can respond. “Even before, I was an inadequate guide for your abilities.”

Wanda’s hands shake as she disagrees. “Don’t say that Viz, you were great.”

Tony waits a few moments before starting again. “Uh…well I managed to reach out to the X-Men and the Professor agreed to let us borrow Doctor Grey for a while.” He lets the sentence sit for a moment, and at all the blank looks he sighs. “She’s a telepathic telekinetic. She’ll probably be able to help you in a way that none of us can.”

Wanda glances down at her hands for a moment, before speaking so quietly that they almost don’t hear her. “And if I don’t _want_ her help?” There’s an undercurrent of rebellion in her voice and Tony shrugs.

“Then she doesn’t help you. But you’re not going back out onto the field until you can prove that you have mastery over your abilities.”

“You don’t control me Stark.”

T’Challa looks like he wants to say something, but Tony shakes his head slightly and the king sits back. “You’re right, no one controls you Wanda. However – like I said, until you have control over your abilities you won’t be able to go out. Unfortunately in either capacity. I don’t want to keep you here, but if you’re determined not to get the help you need then we’ll have no choice.”

“You can’t keep me here.” Tony tilts his head a little.

“You’re correct again, since I just finished saying that we don’t control you. If you feel like you can’t abide by these rules then you are more than welcome to turn in your Avengers badge-” He pauses and glances at Rhodes. “Remind me to make Avengers badges.” Rhodes lets out a soft snort in amusement as Tony turns back to Wanda. “And then you’re more than welcome to leave. I’ll have the Stark Jet take you wherever you want to go.” Wanda looks like she wants to argue more but Tony presses on. “Just, meet her…yeah? There’s no harm in someone who might be able to understand what you’re going through, someone who might be able to help you. If you don’t like Jean then I can ask Xavier for another recommendation.” Tony catches Wanda’s eyes. “I’m just trying to help you, but I can only give you the options, I can’t make you take them.”

Wanda looks like she wants to disagree still, probably on the principle that Tony made the choice of teachers for her, but a quick glance at the Android’s disappointed face shuts her down and she nods once. “Good, I’ll let Jean know. To the second matter of business…I’d like to offer up a vote.” This catches everyone’s attention immediately and they all glance at each other before looking at Tony. “I acquired a position, not by a vote or by anything I did but by necessity. However, I’m willing to step aside for another leader if that is what we all decide upon.”

Steve feels like the room has just tilted on itself. He remembers just last night conversing with Sam that Tony having a position of power was a nightmare in the making because Tony would never give it up. Is it possible that he’s matured enough over all this time to realize his short comings and stepping aside for Steve? It’s surprising since Steve wouldn’t have guessed it after their conversation in the hallway.

There’s a hush across the table as no one speaks for a moment, clearly none of them wanting to be the first to speak. Wanda breaks the silence with her vote.

“I vote Steve.” She says and Steve gives her a small smile. Natasha seconds her a moment later. There’s a moment of indecision on Sam’s face before he looks away and speaks his vote.

“Rhodes.” Rhodes looks about as surprised as Steve must. Steve figured that Sam would still have his back, and it’s not like Steve’s pushing for Tony to abdicate, Tony’s stepping down of his own free will because he acknowledges that Steve is a better leader than he ever could be. There’s nothing wrong with that, after all Tony is amazing in the areas where he’s the strongest – leadership just isn’t it.

“I second Rhodes.” Hope speaks up and she glances at Scott to speak. He looks around the table for a moment before pointing towards Steve.

“Captain America…I mean this is the Avengers…” He says it like it’s obvious. He glances at Vision and the Android glances across the table at Tony.

“Do you wish to remain in the position that you currently hold?” Tony looks torn for a moment.

“I took it because there was no one else who could do it at that time.” Vision stares longer for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

“I believe that Mr. Stark is the best choice, as we are right now, for our leader.” Vision glances at Rhodes who nods.

“I agree with Vision, I place my vote for Tony.” T’Challa seems to be marking down the votes on a piece of paper and glances up when they look at him.

“Mr. Stark.” Is his simple answer and he looks at Steve. It feels a little weird, but it’s the only answer that feels right.

“Uh, myself.” T’Challa nods and marks it as they look up to Spider-Man who is busy looking back and forth between Tony, Rhodes and Steve.

“Um…is it my turn already? Oh…yeah…awesome…um.” He glances around one more time before glancing at Tony. “Mr. Stark you don’t mind right?” Tony gives him a small smile.

“Do you place your vote in with Mr. Stark?” T’Challa asks and Spider-Man hesitates for a moment before nodding. Steve feels a momentary realization that Tony and him are tied for the role. That leaves only Tony and Bruce without their votes being counted yet and Bruce seems to take a breath.

“Put me down for Tony please.” He asks T’Challa and the tally goes down. Tony’s vote can tie them or place himself in the lead.

Steve wonders for a moment if Tony knew it was going to turn out like this, if that’s why he even bothered with this whole sham of a voting event. “Rhodes.”

Tony's thrown his vote. Voting for Rhodes is safe because it doesn’t threaten Tony’s claim, and he can say that he never voted for himself. T’Challa glances up from his markings. “It seems that you are our fearless leader once again.”

The smile Tony gives the other man is tight around the edges, like Tony’s unsure if he’s pleased or not by this development. “Am I allowed to choose a second in command? Someone to step in for me if I can’t be on the field?” There’s a moment where everyone agrees and he looks at Rhodes. “What do you say buddy? Got my back?” Rhodes gets a small smile before nodding.

“Did you really need to ask?” The rest of the meeting goes pretty smoothly, but Steve feels like he’s gone through it in a daze. Somehow, he’s been surrounded by people who don’t realize the bad choices they’re setting them all up to fail for.

Granted, Rhodes isn’t that bad of a choice, but he’s owned by the military. Owned by people like Ross and he’s already shown that he’s biased towards Tony. Wanda looks insulted on his behalf which he’s thankful for, and Natasha has just leaned back in her seat with her arms crossed taking in the proceedings.

By the time the meetings over and the ‘Avengers’ have left the room, Steve sits back with Wanda. Too late he realizes that he forgot to even mention Bucky and entering Bucky into the Avengers as a team member. “I’m sorry Steve. It should have been you.” Wanda says and Steve gives her a smile.

“Give it time, things are still shifting and maybe it’s not a bad thing to have Tony in the forefront. He has been in it up till now after all. And he hasn’t done that bad.” Her face scrunches up.

“He’s a monster playing at being a hero. He shouldn’t be allowed to lead anyone let alone the Avengers.” Steve shrugs lightly, trying to remain unaffected by his team mates choice.

“Its majority vote. That’s how it works.”

“Funny that it works now that Clint is gone and that Tony has been allowed to add his number one fan.” She shakes her head. “And now he presumes to get rid of me onto someone else. As if I am a stupid child…a burden.”

Steve reaches out and puts a hand on her arm. “Hey, don’t think about it like that. It doesn’t matter what Tony thinks about you, and it never will.” He shrugs “Besides, perhaps this Doctor lady can help? If she has similar powers to yours what’s the harm in letting her try?”

“Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“I do.”

“Then I’ll do it.” Her shoulders go back. “No matter what anyone else tells me. I follow you, not Stark.” Steve appreciates the loyalty, it’s nice to see it still exists in some people. There’s a moment before his mind remembers the reason why Sam said he wouldn’t back Steve.

“Wanda, there’s something I need to tell you.” She looks at him expectantly. “It’s about Siberia.” She nods and he presses on. “Sam said that I left out something that might be important for everyone to know, so I’m going to tell you everything.” He pauses before the words come out. “When Bucky and I went to Siberia you know that Tony followed us.”

“Yes.”

“What I didn’t elaborate on was Zemo’s plan. His plan wasn’t to just kill the Winter Soldier Core, but to break apart the Avengers. He used Tony to do that.”

“How?”

“Zemo had a video, of the Winter Soldier during an assassination.” Its weird talking about Bucky and the Winter Soldier like they’re two different people, but he needs Wanda to understand the difference. “The people he killed were Starks parents. When Tony saw the video he became angry and attacked Bucky for the Winter Soldier’s actions. He let Zemo win at that point, and there was nothing I could do to talk him out of his sudden need for vengeance.” Steve looks up at her. “I tried, but he wouldn’t listen. We fought, and I got him down. The rest you’ve heard.”

Wanda is silent for a few moments after Steve's finished talking. “So Stark is a hypocrite as well as a liar?” Steve pauses as he glances at the young woman.

“What?”

“Stark is a hypocrite, he and his argue that I have no ground on which to stand because Stark himself did not pull the trigger on my parents. However, Barnes didn’t pull the trigger either but Stark condemns him regardless?” Steve pauses as he thinks about it. It hadn’t crossed his mind like that, but he figures that Wanda isn't wrong.

“I…guess so, yeah.”

“And he allowed himself to be used by Hydra to further their plans like I had, but he claims innocence while I must be locked away and ‘monitored’.” There’s rage underneath her words and Steve slowly nods.

“I didn’t think about it like that.”

“And now this is the man who will lead us? Like he led with Ultron? Like he led us to Ross.” She shakes her head.

“The others voted him in, I say we give it time.” Steve nudges her arm. “I heard a saying once, give someone enough rope and let them hang themselves with it. We just have to wait.”

Wanda has a faraway look, like her mind is somewhere else, thinking about something else but she nods. “Letting Stark hang. That sounds like a good plan.”

There’s a look in her eyes now, but Steve can’t place it as they both stand and leave the room. Steve figures he has to go apologize to Bucky for not getting him admitted and to Natasha, letting her know that it’s her turn to work Stark, if they want any chance of getting Clint out of prison before Tony takes things too far and it becomes too late for Steve to fix it and to turn it all back.


	9. Chapter 9

 

“I don’t know if I’ve thanked you enough Mr. Stark.” Peter’s talking a hundred miles a minute and the headache pounding at his temples makes it almost difficult to focus on what he’s saying.

“It’s all good kid, you earned it.” Tony must have said something right, which seems to be a rare occurrence these days so he’ll take it, when Peter gets an embarrassed edge to his body language but is obviously pleased with Tony’s statement.

“Thanks.” He motions to the costume. “And not just for this, or the new tech you sent me. Aunt May just got the brochures that you sent for the ‘internship’, she’s been so excited and so proud of me…”

“Just wait till summer comes around. Did you see the parts I added about Required Summer Science-ing?” Peter nods enthusiastically.

“I’ll be there, like on time and everything. Seriously you won’t have a problem with me.” Tony pauses and glances at Peter. There’s a weird moment where Tony actually sees a little of younger him in the boy. He remembers the first time that Howard had agreed to let Tony tag along to the workshop and ‘tinker’ as he had called it. Tony remembered vibrating with the same energy that Peter’s exhibiting now, that urge to be useful – the urge to make the other proud and to see them as worthwhile. Tony feels like a heavy weight curls around his chest.

He doesn’t want to be like Howard.

He glances around and leads them to the elevator, motioning for Peter to enter. The moment the doors close and give them some privacy, Tony speaks. “You know Pete, you can call me Tony.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. We’re friends right?” Peter’s cheeks move the fabric on the mask in a show of how big his smile is.

“I’d like that Mr. Star- Tony.” Tony reaches out and claps Peter on the shoulder.

“Good, because I wanted to talk to you about something.” The doors open and Peter follows him into the lab. Bruce is putting on a lab coat in the corner, giving a small head nod to the two of them as they walk past and Dummy is off sweeping – how he found the broom Tony has no clue but he’s making a bigger mess than actually cleaning – and Tony pulls up the screens. “Do you mind if I talk freely?” He motions with his head towards Bruce and Peter seems to think about it before nodding his head.

“It’s okay.”

If it were anyone else other than Bruce, Tony wouldn’t press on, but he trusts Bruce as much as he trusts Rhodey so he continues. “So I was looking into your work, and I have to say…It’s impressive. I’m impressed.” Peter glances at the information that FRIDAY has put up for them and notices his last science fair project depicted on the screens. Tony watches as Peter seems to struggle with the urge to preen at Tony’s praise and to curl up on himself because of the disparity in levels between Tony and himself.

Tony of course isn’t having _any_ of that. Howard may have been a crappy mentor who didn’t know how to praise ingenuity but Tony won’t be that way. “I hope you don’t mind that I used this as your entrance exam for the program.” Peter glances back and forth from him to the project and back.

“No! Not at all, I just…I mean it didn’t work…That’s why I lost.” Tony thinks about what Peter’s said, the words hidden in-between the words.

“That’s science Spiderling. It doesn’t always work, and nobody manages every single time. You don’t even want to know the number of labs I’ve destroyed or blown up in my quest to unravel the mystery.” Tony gives him a grin, remembering a few choice moments himself and the look on Pepper’s face whenever she’d walk into the wreckage afterwards. “But it’s the _ideas_ that count. It’s the courage to try something new, to think out of the box when no one else can. That’s what I saw, and that’s what the board saw too. They loved it, they’re already planning your future ‘Company Package’.” He winks at Peter. “Hint, never go for the first two offers– they’ll try to strong arm you. Third’s almost always best.”

“Am I the only one in this program? Is it just a cover?”

“No, you’ll be here with one other applicant.” Peter glances around.

“Down in your lab?”

Tony nods and glances around. “Yeah, I mean it’s been a while since he’s messed with my toys and as long as he stops abusing Iron Man-” The joke all of a sudden feels tight and he quickly pushes it down and continues on. Peter doesn’t seem to notice the pause. “I’m slightly concerned about the future of the world, introducing the two of you but it’s going to be awesome.”

“Is he a hero too?”

Tony shakes his head. “Harley isn’t a costumed fighter if that’s what you’re asking. We were designing him his own armor at one point as a joke, but his mom shut that down pretty spectacularly. And between you and me – she’s terrifying. And Pete, I’m not…” Tony sighs. “I’m not giving you this internship because you’re Spider-Man. I’m giving it to you because _Peter Parker_ is a brilliant scientist in the making. Don’t think you’re here because I want your abilities. Even if you were to retire tomorrow the position would still be yours.” Score for Tony yet again as he can tell he’s said the right thing.

The hug is a little surprising, but at least his ribs don’t hurt anymore so he pats Peter rather awkwardly on the back and waits for the kid to let go.

Bruce waits until Tony is finished giving Peter the tour and after he leaves before approaching. “You’re a marshmallow.” There’s a fond undertone to his voice and Tony shakes it off.

“Hardly.”

Bruce grins a little. “I think it’s nice, what you’re doing for him.”

“He deserves it.” Bruce glances over the screens that show Peter’s science project.

“He does, this is pretty impressive.” There’s a moment before Bruce gets right down to business. “Helen told me what happened.” Tony cringes, but Bruce never was one to beat around the bush.

“Yeah, I’ve got to report to her in a few minutes…I’m avoiding it if you can’t tell. Can we pretend we’re having a meeting? Stall?”

Bruce gets that little frowny face that Tony hates putting on him and shakes his head. “This isn’t something to joke around with Tony. This is dangerous.”

“What did Helen tell you?”

“She says that Extremis triggered on its own and was unmoderated for over thirty minutes before making itself dormant again.”

Tony nods. “See, dormant again. I think you guys are ignoring the important part of that sentence.” Bruce crosses his arms and glowers at Tony. Clearly not having any of it.

“Stop it Tony.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Yes you are. You’ve got your walls up.” He sighs but presses on. “And for your information, you’re the one not paying attention to the most important part of that sentence.”

“Thirty minutes is nothing Bruce, Helen usually lets it run for longer than that.”

“It’s not the time that worries us Tony and you know that. Extremis _turned itself_ _on_. It then proceeded to make adjustments and changes that we have not yet been able to track because you had FRIDAY break you out of the Cradle before Helen could locate them. But it also _turned itself off_. This isn’t good Tony and you know it. This isn’t in Extremis’s nature, it shouldn’t have the ability to do something like this.”

Tony nods and tugs at his cufflink a little. “Helen thinks it’s mutating.”

“More like evolving, and it’s taking you along for the ride.” Tony shrugs.

“I know, but I’m healed enough that we’re going to attempt the cure.” Bruce shook his head.

“That’s a terrible plan. You _know_ that’s a terrible plan. Without knowing the changes in the virus and without knowing what it did to you when it wasn’t being monitored – throwing the cure on top of that could have catastrophic results.”

“Helen took some samples last night and is testing the cure on them now. She agrees with what you’re saying but she’s worried that not jumping on it now before it has more time to adjust is a bad plan.”

“Did you feel it? When it triggered?” Tony pauses and thinks about the time that Bruce is referring to.

“Yeah…I did.”

“What happened?” Tony glances at Bruce and weighs whether or not this information is good to lay at the other man’s feet. It’s obvious that Bruce is contending with Hulk pushing out the edges and Tony doesn’t want to cause any issues, but he sees the stubborn set of Bruce’s shoulders and he trusts Bruce to stop him if something starts to push beyond his control.

“After the kitchen I came down to the lab. I knew something was wrong immediately.”

Bruce nods. “That’s why you had FRIDAY contact Helen. What made you feel that way?”

“There was no pain.” Is the reply Tony gives. “Barton had manhandled me around a bit before we ended up in the kitchen. Not even two hours out of the cast and that happens. When he first started, I thought he was being mind controlled. Isn’t that silly?” Tony laughs at himself and Bruce’s face sours. “I thought someone had gotten to him. That they had wound him up and pointed him at us, and that I was just the unlucky bastard who got in the way.” Tony shakes his head. “I know that Barton didn’t know about the injuries. I know that it just got out of hand, but I tried to call the armor to me, even though I knew that I still was in no condition to be piloting the suit. The neurotransmitters shorted and FRIDAY was offline, so naturally nothing happened.” Tony pauses as he remembers the moment, Clint had just shoved him up against the kitchen counter, the edge digging into his back painfully and his chest screaming at him to release the position that Clint was forcing him back into. He couldn’t breathe, there was a moment where he flashed back to Siberia and the one with their fist raised wasn’t Clint but Steve. “There was this burning sensation in my chest and the pain went away, just like the sessions in the Cradle. Barnes showed up not even moments later and got him off.”

Bruce tilts his head. “Bucky was there?”

“He’s the one who pulled Clint off, I think I need to apologize to him.”

“What for?”

“I was kind of out of it when he was trying to help me. I just kind of fled down here.”

“So you felt the healing factor activate and you called Helen? That’s it?” It’s clear he knows Tony’s holding something back and Tony’s at war with himself before he remembers that this is Bruce, and Bruce is his friend and is just trying to help him.

“I called Helen…and then next thing I knew she was coming down the elevator and fussing at me, that’s when I knew something was wrong.” Bruce pauses at the tale.

“Wait, didn’t she come from her hotel?”

“Yup.”

“How far away is that?”

“About twenty minutes. She made good time.”

Bruce’s face looks horrified. “Wait, Tony – you’re telling me that the thirty or so minutes that it was active…you don’t have any _memory_ of them?”

“Not a blip. One moment I’m telling FRIDAY to call Helen, next Helen’s there. There’s no spot in-between. Oh and of course the best part.”

“There’s more?”

“Yeah, there’s more. When I came down I came down using that elevator.” He points. “When I came back I was standing in the lab over there.” He points to the new area.

“So you were walking around with no recollection of what you were doing?”

“Pretty much.”

“Did FRIDAY record it?” Tony gets a mirthless smile.

“That’s where it gets even weirder. FRIDAY’s system has been experiencing glitches. She came back online quickly enough but there’s no data for the time in-between me coming down and Helen stepping off the elevator.” Bruce is silent for a moment and Tony just lets him take in the information without distraction. He knows that Bruce is beyond worried when he does his nervous habit of pulling off his glasses to clean them before sliding them back on his face.

“We need to tell Helen about this.” Tony cringes, she’s going to be pissed that he didn’t say it before.

“She knows most of it, just not about the black out.” Bruce reaches over and takes Tony’s arm, starting to lead him down to where Helen and her group of vultures lie in wait.

Bruce pushes the elevator button with a bit more force than is necessary and the doors open. They get into the elevator and Bruce pauses. “Wait, FRIDAY how were you offline? I thought you managed full integration between your system and the Compound. Are the glitches taking you offline?” There’s concern in his voice.

_‘Mr. Barton attacked my servers with his command code. I was temporarily shut down Doctor.’_

Bruce’s hand shoots out and grabs at the wall as the doors open, and Tony feels a moment of uncertainty at the greenish tone starting to push up. Bruce glances at him with green eyes and Tony comes forward slowly. “We good buddy?”

“He shut down your AI and came after you…like Obadiah and JARVIS. He used your trust and your codes to get in and do that.” Tony reaches out slowly and puts a hand on Bruce’s arm.

“I’m fine, I’m okay. I need you to take a deep breath.” Tony tries to maintain a calm tone as Bruce notices the other Wakandan doctors and Helen standing in the area opened to them, and watches as they all take several steps back. It does something to him, Tony can see it cross his face in misery. “Hey, don’t worry about them. I’m right here, I know you’ve got this.”

Bruce’s body spasms with the effort to not allow the change to happen. “You need to get away.”

“No. You’ve got this. I’m not going anywhere because there’s no need to.” Bruce lets out a soft laugh, like Tony might be brain addled, which is possibly very true right now, before he takes a few deep breaths and the green fades away. “See, told you buddy.”

“I’m so sorry Tony…god I’m so sorry.” Tony feels a sickening feeling in his gut, his mind replaying images of Obadiah hovering over him, the glow of the Arc Reactor lighting his face- images of Steve as he hovers over him, the fractured light bouncing off the shield and illuminating the rage in his eyes. The images of Clint as his fist comes up again…He shakes the memories away quickly as he gives Bruce a smile.

“It’s alright, honest it’s alright.” It’s a lie, and Tony can see Bruce calling him out on it in his eyes, but the two of them move out of the elevator and come up to Helen. She glances at Bruce.

“Everything okay?” He nods and Tony starts to undo the tie and collar on his shirt.

“Let’s get this over with then. Where do you want me?” She points to the Cradle and Tony strips down before crawling in. The machine whirrs to life and the top slides over, placing Tony in pure darkness before the lights on the side activate and give everything a soft red hue. “You know, we should really consider adding some pillows in here, maybe a sound system or a movie screen.”

“Silence Mr. Stark. You know the drill.” Tony relaxes and takes the time to think about the meeting. It distracts his mind a little from the claustrophobic feeling of the Cradle around him, only once has his mind likened it to a coffin, and once was _more_ than enough, and ever since he’s done his best not to let his mind wander unnecessarily.

Truth be told, Tony assumed that Steve would be picked to take back up his previous mantle and head the Avengers again. It’s a little surprising, and downright terrifying that somehow he’s still got it.

And now it’s almost worse. Before Tony just stepped in and took over the gap that Steve had left with his moronic tirades and increasingly concerning behavior during the Accords, there was really no pressure on him. He wasn’t the chosen representative, he was just the only one they had at that time. He wasn’t the chosen leader, he was just the only one available. Now though, now the whole team is looking to him to validate their trust in him.

And they don’t know…that he’s been thinking of bowing out. Now he can’t, or at least now he can’t for a while.

On top of all of this, now he has to contend with whatever is going on with Extremis. Tony knows objectively speaking, that there was never going to be a reality where injecting himself with that virus was going to turn out well for him, but he had started to hope. He should have known better, things never go best case scenario with him. There’s a small inkling of fear, who knows what’s changed about him- and truth be told he’s a little afraid of ending up like Aldrich or like any of the various test subjects who were foolish enough to put this poison in their bodies. What if they find out something horrible? Something that makes him…less than what he was before? Something dangerous?

 _Hopefully_ , he thinks, _they won’t find anything at all._

He’s woken up suddenly by the sound of the Cradle releasing its locks and the lid slides open. T’Challa is standing there alongside Bruce and Cho when Tony comes crawling out. His headache is gone, so kudos to that and he puts back on his clothes as Bruce and Helen inform him that Extremis seemed to have healed his injuries and nothing more. They’ve dodged a bullet this time it seems.

There’s a weight in Tony’s chest that lightens when he hears this news and it’s immediately obvious that it must show in his face or his body language because Bruce gets a soft smile that’s mirrored by both Helen and T’Challa. “Good job team, good work.” Tony says with a smile, addressing all of Helen’s and T’Challa’s assistants. “Anything you want delivered, just tell FRIDAY and she’ll get it for you guys, on the house. Doesn’t even have to be from the same place. You’re all awesome.” He knows he’s rambling a little, like how he had after the wormhole incident that led to the team eating at that little Shawarma place but he doesn’t really care. There’s appreciative murmuring in the background and Tony turns to Helen. “Does this mean Iron Man is back online?”

She purses her lips a little and it deflates some of his new found excitement. “I don’t think so. Not right now at least.”

Tony leaves them downstairs with that depressing assessment. He’s barely made it out of the elevator before he sees Natasha standing there.

“Romanoff.” He greets as he keeps walking and Natasha falls into line beside him.

“Can we talk?”

“Are we not? I was under the impression that when words come out and someone else is actively hearing them whether they want to be or not that those two people were talking.”

“Tony.” Her voice holds a sharp reprimand, like a parent scolding a child and it grates on his nerves, but he plays along and stops anyways.

“What?”

“I wanted to know if you were okay?” It’s a safe place to start, Natasha has to know that and Tony wonders if she knows that Tony knows that. The soft, concerned tone in her voice is a nice touch.

“Always.” He repeats his answer from the previous time she asked if he was fine and she gets a little smile like they’re sharing some kind of amusing secret between them. Tony doesn’t want to tell her that he answers that way every time _anyone_ asks that stupid generic question.

“I’m glad…and I’m glad that we’re all coming back, getting past this.” Tony nods like he’s totally in line with her thinking.

“Yeah, getting past this.” He pauses, letting an overdramatic frown cross his face. “Wait, just let me clarify, what’s ‘This’? Do you mean ‘This’ as in that time Captain America decided to say ‘fuck you’ to 117 Sovereign Nations and made my life a living hell? Or did you mean the ‘This’ where you pretended to be on my side, actively betrayed me and then acted like me and my ‘ego’ were the problem? Or no, let me guess you mean the ‘This’ where I’m all healed up after almost dying in a Siberian Hydra base and your pal decided to beat the shit out of me.” Her smile falls immediately and the ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look comes back full force.

It used to make Tony feel like backpedaling or doing damage control. Now he just sees it for what it really is: a well-practiced mask. “Tony, the Accords were wrong. I knew that back at the beginning and I think you knew that too.”

“Which part?”

“Which part what?” He shakes his head.

“No, I mean which part of the Accords were wrong?”

“The part where Ross was able to imprison _our friends_ in the RAFT without a trial.” Tony waits and he realizes that she’s going with a one argument at a time approach.

“First: that sanction _wasn’t_ in the Accords. They actually expressed an entirely different way to handle super powered villains.”

Natasha rolls her eyes, and gets a look like Tony’s being dense. “Steve and them are not and were never ‘villains’.”

“How would you describe them during that time then Natasha?”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “I’d describe them as good people put in a bad situation and they had only two options: roll over or fight back.” Tony snorts at her statement.

“Right, of course. That’s exactly how I would describe ‘good people’ too, as someone who actively fought against the police, injuring and killing several of them as well as injuring various civilians in their quest to get between the law and the capture of a wanted international terrorist.” He nods sarcastically. “You’re absolutely right. I’d describe ‘good people’ as people who say: ‘I know what’s best for everyone and how dare anyone try to tell me that I’m not above the law’.”

“Bucky was innocent of the UN Bombing.”

“I love how that’s everyone’s first argument. They blatantly ignore the fact that at that time, we had video proof that he was a legitimate suspect in the bombing. They act like we just picked your Average Joe and decided to ring him through. Least you forget, innocent or not, James Barnes is _still_ the Winter Soldier. There was plenty of reason to bring him in for trial and questioning.”

“They didn’t handle the situation correctly. They just intended to make Bucky a scapegoat and a poster boy for why the Accords needed to be forced down our throats.” Steve’s command voice used to cause an embarrassing reaction that Tony used to have to hide, now it just causes irritation that he doesn’t even bother trying. He turns and takes in Steve’s ‘Captain America Is Upset With You™’ stance, complete with the matching arm crossing that Natasha is giving on the other side of him.

“Really? How do you think they should have handled that? They brought him in, put him in a cell and called for a psychologist to come in and ascertain how much of ‘Bucky’ was present and how much of the ‘Winter Soldier’ was. How do you feel they should have handled it? Hmm?”

“You saw what happened. Zemo triggered Bucky and he used your _precious_ Accords to do it.”

Tony shakes his head. “Alright, number one: the Accords had nothing to do with Barnes’s imprisonment or how his situation was handled. Despite what you seem to believe, Barnes never fell under the jurisdiction of the Accords. What you saw was how the UN handled a suspected terrorist and known assassin prior to determining what charges would and could be brought up against him.” The muscle in Steve’s jaw clenches but Tony presses on, cutting off anything he’s about to say. “Second: I love the continued belief in your world that I am God.”

That throws Steve for a second, not Natasha or at least not in a way he sees because she’s too good for that. “What? You’re not a god Tony.” He seems to be trying to hold back a sneer at that last part.

“Oh, _I_ know that. I’m curious if _you_ do. I mean, in your world I’m somehow able to influence over a hundred nations into creating a piece of legislation that I apparently, according to you, wrote out each and every single line – probably twirling a little mustache that I grew just for that moment – and then after I realized that you are obviously on to my ‘Nefarious Plan’ you seem to think I can just snap my fingers and it’ll all be gone. Swept away like nothing ever happened and everyone will be peachy keen about it.”

“You were the loudest and first proponent of the Accords Tony, don’t act like you’re innocent in all of this.”

“Actually, for once I am innocent. Because for once I can say that I was firmly on the side of the law and that refusing to follow my ‘so called friends’ into active terrorism kept me there. Also, I was _not_ the loudest or even the first. That would have been T’Chaka, long before I ever saw any drafts of the Accords cross my desk.”

“We are your friends Tony.” Natasha cuts in, stopping anything Steve might have said to his statement and Tony gives her a look that he usually reserves for Justin Hammer.

“Really? That’s funny, because I wouldn’t think that manipulating and attempting to gaslight to control someone’s behavior makes you their friend.”

She shakes her head. “We’ve never done that Tony, we care about you.”

The laugh surprises him a little, he didn’t mean to let it out but nevertheless it slips past him. “Really Natasha…Really? We’re going to play this game?”

“Tony you know we care about you, why else would we be here?”

“Because you have nowhere else to go and you know that I am your best resource whether you want to admit it or not? Plus my past with you showed that you knew I could be walked over and controlled how you saw fit? Hell, I’d stay too.”

“We never controlled you Tony, I think all of this is proof of that.”

“FRIDAY? Pull it up please.” There’s a look of confusion on Steve’s face and there’s no response on Natasha’s so Tony knows that she knows this is about to go down bad.

 _‘Of course Boss.’_ There’s a moment before a holographic screen pops up and it shows Natasha and Steve in Steve’s bedroom.

_“Great, so Pepper is actively out to get us and she’s on the ‘Board’ now.” Steve is shaking his head. “What do you know about the Wasp?”_

_“Hope Van Dyne? Owner of Pym Tech?...The Wasp suit is a variation of the Ant-Man suit, it uses the same chemicals and technology. She’s grandfathered in, her mother used to wear the suit before she was killed in action. Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man before Scott worked alongside SHIELD with Howard and Peggy.”_

_“Is she an ally?”_

_“Perhaps. She has almost as many ‘Daddy Issues’ as Stark does, but unlike Stark you can’t guide her with it. She seems tolerant of Tony to a point, but Pym hates him.”_

_“What did Tony do to him?”_

_She shrugs. “What he did to most people…He was born Howard Stark’s son. Sins of the father sort of thing.”_

_“Tony did more than enough on his own to garner any ill will without trying to dump it all back on Howard.”_

The holograph cuts off and as expected, Steve looks irritated instead of embarrassed. “You’ve been spying on us Tony?”

“I love how this is switched back to me again. How I’m once again at fault. You _know_ that FRIDAY is monitoring everything. You have known this since the first day you moved in so don’t act like I’ve been keeping this a secret from you, remember those stupid forms Pepper had you sign when you moved in? Yeah, they say that the AI is actively monitoring all rooms twenty four seven. FRIDAY records everything and makes files of varying levels that determine potential threats or just information that I should know about.”

“That video doesn’t prove anything other than the severe breach of privacy that you’ve just committed.”

“It proves a lot, but that’s fine. If you don’t like my house then you’re more than welcome to leave.”

“I’m not saying that Tony, but I am saying that this behavior is not okay.”

“Which behavior? The one where my AI that monitors every room in this Compound from day one – and you’re used to JARVIS so don’t pretend that this is something new, or the one where Natasha actively admits to using my father and my issues with him to ‘lead’ me, followed of course seconds later by you throwing me under the bus _yet_ again.”

Anything Steve is about to say is cut off by a voice behind him. “Mr. Stark?” T’Challa steps out into view and Tony wonders how long he’s been there, witnessing this. “I hope I’m not interrupting something?” It’s clear that he knows he is but Steve backs off anyways and Tony gives him a smile.

“Not at all, how can I help you?”

“I was hoping you might come with me real quick? There is something that I need to show you?”

Steve sighs. “Is it going to take long? I had hoped that we might grab something to eat and talk.” His voice is low, so as to not be heard by T’Challa but Tony shakes his head.

“It’s going to take all day. And possibly tomorrow. Maybe even the day after that, so sorry.” He moves to where T’Challa is standing before motioning for him to lead the way. He half expected to go back down to the lab, but he’s pleasantly surprised when T’Challa leads him outside where Happy is waiting with the car. T’Challa opens the door for him, letting him slide in to see Rhodey in the vehicle along with Bruce and Spider-Man, the latter is fiddling around with the button for the privacy screen. “What’s going on?” He asks as T’Challa slides in and closes the door.

“Well, you’ve got a clean bill of health. We thought it was time for celebrations.” Rhodey answers and Tony gets a small smile.

“You know that Underoos is far too young to be celebrating.”

“Hey!” Peter calls out as Rhodey shakes his head.

“Not _that_ kind of celebration you moron. Just a little something that the King here had put together while you were going through the final stages. I think you’re going to love it. It’s just your kind of stupid.”

That makes Tony curious and he glances at the Wakandan next to him. He knows that they’ve been whispering behind his back these last few days but he had figured that it was kind of more along the lines of the Steve and Natasha bullshit.

He asks where they’re going several times, threatening to scream ‘kidnap’ out the window if they don’t tell him, but they just smile at him and ignore his threats.

Granted, he feels like he’s just been kidnapped when they pull up to this nondescript warehouse looking building. If it weren’t for the fact that there are dozens of businesses on the sides of it and they’re clearly in town he might have been concerned. They walk inside, and Tony gets a small smile when he sees what the place is.

Indoor Go Kart.

“Really guys? Go Karts?”

T’Challa gets a little bit of a grin, “Not particularly.” Tony tilts his head at the amusement leaking from his voice as they come around the corner and Tony sees them.

He’s laughing, using Rhodey and T’Challa to keep standing moments later. Instead of the usual go kart cars, there’s several golf carts lined up next to each other as if they’re great racing cars being shown off on stage. The sides have been painted, and various stickers have been littered around them.

Tony’s is red and gold with various Iron Man stickers adorning its sides. Rhodey’s has silver and War Machine. Spider-Man’s looks like Halloween got thrown all over it with the spiders and webs stuck to the red paint standing out next to the Hulk’s green and purple cart.

T’Challa’s is undoubtedly the most amusing, with various kitten and cat stickers that look like they belong on a five year old girl’s notebook amidst black paint.

“I don’t know why his highness was adamant about them being golf carts, but here we are.” Rhodey says as they move forward and T’Challa leans in to whisper:

“Try not to flip this one over?”

Tony just grins and gets behind the wheel, revving the little engine. “I promise nothing.”


	10. Chapter 10

 

It’s almost a relief to lay down on the bed and let them strap him down. If someone had told him that before a few days ago he would have told them to let the Doc check their heads.

It hasn’t really been a culture shock, not like the one that Steve received when he woke up. Hydra kept activating him throughout the years and made certain that he retained a workable knowledge of new technology and government politics. So despite what a lot of people think, Bucky knew how to handle being in this new time, he knew what to expect to a certain point and he knew what people expected of him…Mostly. Things are still very raw from Zemo’s forced reset of the Soldier, but thanks to Tony’s B.A.R.F. (he really needs to rename that) technology, Bucky is starting to feel his feet solidify under him.

Tony is standing off to the side talking with the Wakandan biomedical engineers and the surgeons who are not actively participating in getting Bucky ready for surgery. They’re clearly going over the last final points before they actually take the arm that is in Tony’s hands right now and attach it in place of the one he’s missing. Steve opted to stand beside him during this part, just in case something triggers and Bucky needs to be restrained before they get him pumped full of drugs. Tony glances over through the glass and gives him two thumbs up- one of them his own while the other is him manipulating the circuits in the dead arm to do the motion as well. Bucky feels a little smile pull at the sides of his lips as he lets out a deep breath and tries to relax.

“I wish he would take this serious.” Steve mutters and Bucky looks at him to see him glancing at Tony.

“It’s fine Steve.”

“No it isn’t. What if he messes something up? Are they watching what he’s doing with those wires? Should he even be touching it right now?”

Bucky sighs inwardly and tries to remember to be calm. “He’s touched it all over Stevie.” Steve makes a face and Bucky can’t help the small snort that escapes him. “Mind out of the trash Steve.” He jokes and Steve looks at him, matching his smile a few seconds later. “Tony built it. I doubt there’s one wire in there that he didn’t touch at some point.”

“Are you sure about this? We can wait if you’re not.”

“I’m sure, what’s your hang up?” Steve’s lips purse in a frown.

“It’s Tony, Buck. You know what he did…you have no idea what he’s rigged that thing up to do to you.”

“I believe he’s ‘rigged it up’ to be my arm.” Tony showed him the plans of course. When Bucky had given the go ahead to be fitted with a new arm and Stark already informed him that he’d made blueprints of potential options. Bucky, despite the Hydra knowledge, didn’t understand a thing that Tony was saying as the engineer lit up as he talked about the various prototypes that FRIDAY could have in production and finished within twenty four hours. Tony still had to put it together in the end but Bucky’s been itching to get it attached from the moment he started seeing it come together.

“Bucky.” Steve’s tone is slightly irritated and Bucky shakes his head.

“It’s in the past Steve…We’re working through it, and he apologized for the last one.” There’s a snort that comes from Steve and Bucky arches an eyebrow.

“Tony doesn’t apologize for anything Buck.” Steve sounds so sure of that statement and Bucky falls silent. His mind immediately goes to the tired man who offered forgiveness and asked for it in return in the kitchen a few days ago. The arm itself is another apology. Even Bucky can see that, not that he ever thought that Stark needed to apologize for taking the last one. Personally, circumstances aside, Bucky feels like Tony did him a favor. He’d wanted to rip that arm off from the moment he broke free of the programing but had been unable to follow through.

“I think he does and you’re just not listening.” Is what he answers with after a few seconds and Steve shakes his head.

“No he doesn’t Bucky.”

“Maybe he’s changed.” He’s not able to continue this conversation with Steve because the door opens and Tony enters the area coming around the hospital bed on his other side.

“Alright, looks like its show time.” He starts to hand off the arm to one of the assistants before pulling it back suddenly and looking down at Bucky with a serious look in his eye. “Are you _sure_ you don’t want me to paint it red and gold?”

Bucky lets out a soft laugh. The last few jitters that have been going through him fade away with it, and Steve shoots the brunet an irritated look. “He said ‘no’.” Tony rolls his eyes and looks across Bucky to Steve.

“It’s a joke Captain Stick-In-The-Mud. Haven’t you ever heard of one of those?” Steve’s jaw clenches a little at Tony’s jab.

“This isn’t a joke Tony.” Bucky shakes his head before the two of them can get started, he does not want to be literally in the middle of one of their fights.

“How long will it take?” Tony glances down at him, taking barely a second to catch on to Bucky changing the subject and shrugs.

“They’re thinking five hours? There’s a lot of slow, delicate work involved in this. Or so I’m told. Don’t worry, for you it’ll feel like five minutes.” He hands off the arm finally to the assistant who has just been standing there this whole time before motioning for Steve to follow him. “Time for us to get out of their way Captain.”

Steve doesn’t follow after Tony at first, instead choosing to squeeze Bucky’s good hand and try to put on a calm and assured face for Bucky’s sake. “You’re going to be fine.”

Bucky is actually wondering if Steve is more concerned about the surgery then he is. “I know that punk. Now get out of here.” The two of them leave as the Doctor comes over and puts the mask on his face. The lights get brighter and everything fades out.

*          *          *          *          *

“Alright, make a fist for me.” Tony instructs and Bucky follows his new list of commands. The hand opens and closes with an ease that the last one didn’t have. There’s no whirring of gears or the throb of continued use in his shoulder from the weight of the blasted thing. Instead this one is sleek, beautiful and all _his_.

Steve watches like a guardian angel from behind Tony as the brunet continues to spin around him on that silly little rolling stool and usher commands. “How’s it feeling?” Tony asks as he looks at specs and Bucky stares down at it in obvious wonder.

“It’s amazing…Thank you Tony.” There’s a moment where Tony looks surprised, and a little caught off guard by the sentiment before the look is gone.

“You don’t have to thank me Barnes, just doing my job. Keeping us all up to date and everything.” He goes back to the clipboard in his hands and Bucky reaches out with his new arm and pushes it down to get Tony’s attention again.

“No, I mean it. _Thank_ _you_. You didn’t have to do this, and it’s amazing.” He flexes the fingers. “You’re right, you do make awesome shit.” Tony laughs at his comment and shakes his head.

“And don’t you ever forget it. Seriously, my genius is wasted on these heathens.”

“I’ll bet.” Bucky mutters as he glances around the lab. There’s prototypes everywhere, anything ranging from ‘Widow Bites’ (He wonders if Natasha always called them that or if that was Stark- because it was dumb, so probably right up his alley) to various mock ups of weapons and costumes he saw on the field in Germany. Steve’s attention has been going back and forth between watching Tony and Bucky as well and the shield that’s resting behind glass windows just a few feet away. It hasn’t been repaired, the scratches that the King left in it still mar the surface and the paint is faded with small brownish red speckles on it that Bucky knows, without a doubt, is Tony’s blood. Steve might feel some urge to get that thing back in his hands, but Bucky is having a hard time even looking in its direction. Tony for the most part seems oblivious to the whole exchange, which Bucky can’t fully tell yet if he’s being intentionally obtuse or if he’s just pretending not to notice.

Bucky’s willing to bet more on the second, but the first seems likely enough so he settles between the two.

 _‘Boss?’_ The AI drags everyone’s attention away from what they were doing, and Tony hums. _‘You have a call waiting.’_

Tony doesn’t look up from what he’s doing. “Take a message.”

 _‘It’s a Priority One Caller.’_ That however, immediately gets Tony’s attention as he slides away from Bucky and stands.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Who’s calling?” Steve inquires and Tony shrugs.

“FRIDAY didn’t say.”

“She said ‘Priority One’, what’s that mean?” Tony gives him a look. Like the answer should be obvious.

“That just means those people never get told to leave a message. Regardless of what I’m doing.” Steve gets his thinking face on for a moment but before Tony can walk past him he reaches out and grabs his arm. There’s a sudden…hostility coming off of Steve that honestly makes Bucky uncomfortable, and Tony just glances down at the hand before giving him an unimpressed stare. “What Rogers? I have a call.”

“It’s Ross isn’t it?” Steve grounds out. “That’s why FRIDAY’s being all secretive.” Tony rolls his eyes.

“Please, Fury wasn’t even ‘Priority One’ what makes you think Ross would be?”

“Who is it then?”

“None of your business, that’s who.”

“Tony, I’m trying to trust you here, but you’re not making it easy.” Tony lets out a harsh laugh, before tugging his arm once, obviously trying to get Steve to let go but it doesn’t work.

“You’re trying to trust _me_? That’s great, that’s just fucking great. News flash Rogers, I don’t care if you trust me or not. Let’s get real, of the two of us the one who has any real podium to stand on when it comes to ‘loss of trust’ is me. Now let go of my arm before I make you.”

Bucky isn’t interested in whatever will happen next because he sees that stubborn set to Steve’s jaw, the one he always got before he was contrary just to be contrary and just before he kicked the hornets’ nest. “He said let go Steve.” He says as he stands, preparing to take a step forward and forcibly take Steve’s hand off the brunet. Steve doesn’t say anything, but lets go of Tony’s arm. Tony practically storms out of the area to go take his call. “What the hell was that punk?”

Steve crosses his arms at his tone. “He needs to stop going behind our backs and getting into bed with Ross.”

“He _just_ _said_ Ross wasn’t on the phone.”

“No he didn’t. He just said Fury doesn’t have ‘Level one’ or whatever.” Bucky bites back a sigh.

“Okay fine- he _heavily_ _implied_ that it wasn’t Ross on the phone. Besides, isn’t Ross no longer on the Accords? What reason would Stark have to be talking to him?”

“I don’t know, and that’s what I don’t like.”

“Well tough.” Steve glances at Bucky surprised at the steel in his voice.

“What?”

Bucky thinks of a way to make this clear to Steve. “Stevie, if that had been Peggy – would you have grabbed her like that?”

“Like what?”

“If she wanted to leave, to go take a Top Secret Private ‘Steve Rogers you have no business knowing what I do’ Call, would you have grabbed her arm and held her here?”

“It’s different.”

“How so? Other than the fact that Peggy would have had you on your _ass_ for that.”

“Peggy never got into bed with the kinds of people that Tony has.” Bucky arches an eyebrow.

“…Are you kidding me?” Steve’s expression shows that he is in fact- _not_ kidding him. “Peggy was SHIELD, and Peggy was an agent. She had to deal with all kinds of people, she had to get close to them and yeah- I know for a fact that she worked with some of them willingly. She wasn’t no angel.”

“That’s different. Those were times of war, Tony just did it to stay rich.”

“So did Howard.” Is the retort Bucky gives him and Steve flinches back a little. “And don’t lie to yourself. Peggy did it to.”

“Peggy did it for the right reasons.”

“And Howard?” Steve’s lips go thin. “What about him? Because last time I checked, Howard’s the one who decided to profit off of making mass weapons of war in the first place. Tony just inherited it. And don’t try to throw ‘times of war’ on this because Howard kept making them long after the war was over. Because it kept him _rich_.”

“Why are you siding with Tony all of a sudden?”

“Why are you so quick to condemn him?” Bucky shakes his head and rolls his new shoulder. “I’m not going to lie to you Steve. I don’t like what I’ve been seeing.”

“What do you mean?”

Bucky takes a breath. “Remember back with the Commandos? Things would get tense and we’d get stupid because…well because we were just in each other’s spaces too long and in high stress situations…Peggy would probably say the fact that we’re men didn’t help.” Steve gets a little smirk at the second half, but he nods.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Do you remember what it was like anytime Peggy came by? How she’d ream us a new one because we were being short sighted?”

“Vividly.” Steve rubs his upper arm absently, as if he can still feel the petite agent hitting him in it.

“She’d come in, and because she was an outside observer, she was able to see things more clearly than we were able to. And we trusted her judgement when she spoke because of that yes?” Steve nods. “Do you trust me?”

“Bucky of course I do! Why would you even ask that?”

“Because I need to hear you say it.”

“I trust you.” Comes so easily out of Steve’s mouth and it relaxes some of the tension in Bucky’s body.

“Good. Then heads up, you’re not going to like what I’m about to say.” Steve looks a little unsure, but Bucky presses on. “I think you need to stay away from Stark.” Steve immediately sputters.

“What?”

“You heard me. I think you need to stay away from Stark.”

“Why? I can’t just ignore him. We’re together.” This is a sentiment that Steve has thrown around since Bucky’s woken up, but Bucky feels the need to clear up a few things about that.

“So I’ve heard. I’ve also heard the reverse.”

“We’re not broken up, we’re just going through a rough patch.”

“Steve…What’s Stark’s favorite movie?” That stops Steve up and he tilts his head. There’s a moment when he thinks about it, but he doesn’t come up with an answer. “No? Okay, what’s his favorite _genre_ of movies?”

“Action.”

“Safe guess. Do you know that or are you just guessing?”

Steve smiles. “It’s Tony.” Bucky shakes his head at the answer.

“So that’s a guess. What kind of music does he like?”

“Loud.” Comes the retort and Bucky waits for more. “It’s just loud, I don’t even know if that’s music.”

“I’m pretty sure ‘Loud’ isn’t an actual music type.” He continues. “What kind of restaurant does he like to take you to? Or where do you go on dates?”

“We were keeping this under wraps. Tony didn’t want it splashed across the front page and I wasn’t really ready to deal with all of that just then.”

“So you’ve never gone on a date. Not one?”

“We watch movies here sometimes.”

“What kinds?”

Steve pauses and thinks about it. “Tony’s obsessed with catching me up, so I guess whatever movie is on the list for that night. And he likes pizza.”

“He likes pizza because it delivers and it comes already made. Besides that doesn’t count, everyone likes pizza.”

“Where are you going with this Buck?”

“How well do you actually know Stark?”

“Very.”

“And yet you can’t answer any of those questions?” He gives Steve a second. “Tell me Tony’s greatest flaw.”

“Easy, ego.”

“What’s his opposite? What’s good about him?”

“Why?” Is the response and Bucky shakes his head.

“Yeah, that’s why you need to stay away from Stark. I asked for his worst quality and you immediately answer. I ask for something good and you want to know _why_ I want to know.” Steve goes to say something but Bucky cuts him off. “Not just that, I would tell you to take a step back if it were just _you_ that you were making a problem with, but that’s not true.”

“What do you mean?”

“You lied about Siberia.”

“I didn’t-” Bucky cuts him off.

“You lied Steve. You lied and you lead others to believe terrible things about a person you _claim_ to care about. You lied to him, you lied to your team mates, and you lied to me.”

“I didn’t mean for anyone to take it that way.”

“Stevie, look who you’re talking to. I know you better than anyone else here, and I know that you’re lying. You let Stark take the fall because you didn’t _want_ to have to deal with that weight on your shoulders, so you made him hold it all.”

“Why are you on Tony’s side all of a sudden?” The door opens and Tony steps back into the area. He looks uncomfortable as they both turn to him.

“So…Laura’s on her way.”

*          *          *          *          *

“She’s on a plane now, she’ll be here in four hours. Happy’s picking her up at the airport.” Natasha crosses her arms.

“Where are the kids?”

“Staying with Julie.” Is Tony’s easy reply and Steve glances at Natasha.

“Who’s Julie?”

“Laura’s sister.” Is the answer she gives and Bucky just maintains his position up against the wall, watching the scenario unfold. “What’s going to happen when she gets here?”

“I don’t know, she wants to talk to Barton…I know that much, but past that? No clue.”

“This is getting out of hand Tony. You’ve made your point.” Tony glances at the red head.

“What point is that Natasha? Please enlighten me?”

“Look, Clint shouldn’t have hit you.” She starts and Tony just nods with a slight amount of sarcasm. “But you shouldn’t have let Pepper throw him in jail.”

“What should I have done then?”

“Behave like a grown up and not let your ego get in the way.” Her answer sounds matter-of-fact. As if Tony is in the wrong by the actions he took against the archer. It makes Bucky’s fist clench. His list about people who need to stay the hell away from Tony is getting longer: Steve and now Natasha.

“I’m confused, what exactly would have been the ‘grown up’ thing to do?”

“We should have handled this in house Tony. You know that.” Steve offers up, his tone is soft and placating.

List: Steve times two and Natasha.

“And what would that have looked like?”

“He would have been reprimanded.” Steve says and Tony nods.

“And what would _that_ have looked like?” At no response, Tony presses on. “I’m actually asking. What would that have looked like? What ‘reprimand’ would he have gotten for attacking me?”

“Clint didn’t attack you Tony.” Natasha interjects. “If he had ‘attacked’ you, you’d be dead.”

“So because he didn’t use deadly force- which we have no way of knowing if it would have gotten there since he was _forced_ to walk away and didn’t walk away on his own- but since he didn’t use the full set of his ninja skills you consider that not an ‘attack’. Okay, what do you define ‘attack’ as Natasha? Or ‘assault’?”

“Stop being antagonistic Stark.” Natasha’s voice holds a reprimand.

“Is that what he would have gotten? ‘Stop being antagonistic Clint’, is that it?”

“Tony, we’re trying to have a serious conversation here, but if you’re not going-” Tony holds up a hand to stop Steve.

“I’m being _very_ serious. I need to know, and I think you need to say it.” Bucky’s a little surprised that the other two people in the room aren’t really speaking up. Wanda is just sitting there, glaring daggers at Stark (List: Steve x2, Natasha, Wanda) and T’Challa is just sipping his tea as if nothing is happening in front of him. “What would have been the ‘reprimand’?”

“I pulled him aside.” Steve says. “I had already talked with him when Pepper showed up.”

“Which did no good since he tried to jump me a second time when Pepper got here.”

“Pepper was being rude and picking a fight with Clint.” Tony takes a second to process what Steve’s just said.

“Alright, we’re getting off track. I’m going to try again. If Clint walked in right now and was reassigned his position as an Avenger, and he punched…let’s not use me since it’s clear that no one cares what happens to me, let’s say he punched Spider-Man…What would happen?”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Spider-Man was able to catch a bypass. He’d be fine.”

“You’re missing the point, in fact you’re missing it so spectacularly I’m starting to get really concerned.”

Natasha glanced over at Steve. “He’s implying the need for the Accords.”

“We don’t need the Accords.” Is Steve’s automatic response and Tony shakes his head.

“Yes we do, because that would make it easy. If I punched Clint- X, Y and Z happens. If Clint punches Wanda, then the _exact same_ X, Y and Z happens. There’d be no gray area.”

“Don’t pretend that’s all the Accords do Tony. Besides, what do the Accords have anything to do with you pressing unnecessary charges on Clint? Would there be things against excessive response?” Tony looks at T’Challa like he’s flabbergasted.

“Are you kidding? It’s like talking to a brick wall.” He looks back at Steve. “I wouldn’t have needed to press charges because we would have already had a system of accountability that wouldn’t put up with that kind of bullshit.”

“Language.” Is Steve’s automatic retort and Tony looks like he just wants to throw his hands in the air. There’s a moment before Steve shakes his head. “And I’m still not one hundred percent on board with these new ‘Accords’. They’re still just tying our hands. I stand by what I said before, the best hands are still our own.”

Tony shakes his head and glances at T’Challa. “I give up. I’m going around in circles. Do you want to give it a go?”

“I’m afraid that would be a waste of time and effort.” T’Challa speaks easily.

“I’m sorry your highness?” Steve asks and T’Challa glances up at him over his cup.

“If only that were true.” Is his almost sarcastic reply. Bucky has to bite his lip a little at the Wakandan King. He’s got spirit, of that he’ll give him.

…But he’s far too much of a cat person.

“Look.” Tony starts again. “The Accords are happening Steve. And you’re going to sign these ones, no more agreeing to sign and then playing take back.” Bucky can see that this information catches everyone’s attention at the table.

“Steve didn’t bend to your Accords.” Wanda snaps and Tony shakes his head.

“Yeah, no. Actually he did. He was about to sign, we were discussing possible concessions to be made to the Accords before he ‘changed his mind’.”

“You were making false promises Tony. Don’t make this seem like it was something it wasn’t.” Steve scolds and Tony shakes his head.

“No, let’s make it exactly what it was. What promises did I make that I didn’t have the intention of keeping?” There’s movement at the door that no one seems to pay much mind to. Sam walks next to Vision who rolls Rhodey up to the door before pausing at the wheelchair bound man’s request right inside the door. “I bent over backwards to get the option on the table to clear you and Wilson for the Germany bull. You ignored it, and for what? Because Wanda had to stay indoors for a few weeks? Give me a break Rogers.”

“Wait, what?” Sam’s question cuts off Steve’s response to Tony’s statement. The two of them turn and notice the new members’ entrance.

“Sam.” Steve starts and Sam takes a step forward, holding up a hand to silence him.

“Is that true? Was there a way to avoid all of this?”

Steve says “No” at the same time that Tony says “Yes”. Bucky gets the feeling that things might get a little messy here soon. Sam was already up in arms to learn from Bucky the truth about what happened in Siberia, now they’re all finding out that there was more? What was Steve thinking?

“Tony?” Sam asks, turning to the brunet. “Explain?” He phrases it like a question, but it’s clearly not. Tony however doesn’t seem to put up much of a fight to it though.

“When the lot of you were arrested, I worked some magic and managed to get the agreement from the UN Accords Council that if Steve and the rest of you signed then an umbrella protection of twenty four hours would be applied. It meant we could turn the capture of Barnes into a legit UN sanctioned Avengers outing. They also agreed at the time that Barnes would be released into psychiatric custody here in a facility of our choosing. He would have gotten the help he needed, instead of being dragged all over. I had it all in writing, I just needed the signatures.”

Sam turns with a growing betrayed look in his eyes towards Steve. “Why didn’t you take it? Why didn’t you _tell_ me about it?”

“He was holding Wanda captive.”

“Liar.” Is Tony’s response while Vision steps forward.

“Mr. Stark was doing no such thing.”

“Yes he did. He trapped me here Viz, with you as my warden.” Wanda mutters, sending doe eyes at the Android.

As far as Bucky can tell, they hold no sway over the other man. “Tony?” Is Sam’s press and Tony explains.

“In hindsight, could it have been handled better? Yes. I guess I should have called from Vienna and let Wanda know that the government was practically knocking down the front door to arrest her for manslaughter. Not to mention all of the ‘Average Joes’ holding ‘Burn the Witch’ signs outside the gates. Luckily, when the UN got involved with the Avengers they made the Compound like an Embassy for Avenger members. Ross and the others couldn’t come get her if she stayed inside. Not while negotiations were underway.” Sam glances at Steve.

“Why didn’t you sign?”

“Sam, they were holding Wanda.”

“Did you even _ask_ why? And that still doesn’t explain why you didn’t say anything about the offer. What if I had wanted to take it? What if Bucky had wanted to?”

“You saw what they did to Bucky in there Sam. They put him on display. You saw, you _experienced_ what Ross and the RAFT did to you guys. That was why I said no.”

“Ross only got that opportunity because you threw the first option back in their faces. Wanda was protected here. Tony was protecting us and you…” Sam cuts off. “You lied Steve…again. You withheld vital information.”

“It wasn’t like that Sam.” Steve stands and Sam takes a small step back.

“What was it like Steve? You lead me to believe that we were on our own. That Tony and the government were coming after us and we had no other option other than to fight. You _said_ that Tony had been uncompromising.” Tony snorts at statement and three sets of eyes glare at him.

“That wasn’t compromise Sam.”

“What was it then Rogers?”

“It was a trap. Those people, they had agendas.” Sam shakes his head. Looking thoroughly shaken.

“No Steve… _you_ had an agenda. You needed soldiers to fight your little battle to save Bucky _your way_. You used our loyalty…you used it for him.” He points at Bucky and Bucky can’t help but feel a little responsible for everything that’s happened.

Maybe he shouldn’t have gone to buy those damn plums.

“Sam.” Steve’s voice is slightly strangled and Sam shakes his head.

“Go to hell Rogers.” He turns on his heel and storms out of the room. Steve immediately chases after him with a desperate call of his name. The entire room is oddly quiet after they leave.

Bucky waits a few seconds before he feels like asking. “Did you know?” Glancing at the red haired woman at the table. There’s no verbal reply from her, just a small nod. “Why did you let us go?”

“You weren’t going to stop.” Is her answer. It flows off her tongue easily…and that’s how Bucky knows it’s a lie.

“Bullshit. Why did you let us go?” She gives him a blank look.

“I told you. I knew you weren’t going to stop.”

“What does that mean?” He presses and she shrugs a shoulder.

“More damage. Causing each other more pain.” There’s no response to her statement, but Bucky’s pretty good at reading groups too.

It’s clear that only Wanda believes her. The looks that T’Challa, Tony, Vision and Rhodes are giving each other speaks volumes about their faith in the spy’s lip service.

Because Bucky’s close enough to the small witch, he hears her mutter of “Maybe you were worried about the wrong person not being able to be stopped.”


	11. Chapter 11

“So how did it go?” T’Challa asks as Tony falls down rather gracelessly into the pleather couch right next to him, it gives a little squeak in protest.

“Fine I guess. Clint’s getting reamed by Laura, Steve is promising to get him off…I’m still confused how he thinks he’s going to do that. Natasha is probably silently plotting my murder and Clint wanted me out of the area.” Banner rolls his eyes as he takes off his glasses and wipes them clean for the tenth time in the last hour. The nervous habit is no doubt making an appearance due to their current location. The super-max prison hosts a wide variety of troublemakers and criminals behind its dull cement walls, and the uncomfortable itch in Barnes and Banner’s postures is expected. T’Challa still isn’t sure he fully supports Laura’s request that Tony come along with her, since it was obvious that she was not going to procure the apology that she wanted from her soon to be ex-husband for the billionaire. Naturally, Tony relented and through that neither Banner, Barnes nor himself would sit idly by and allow him to go with Romanoff and Rogers without proper backup. Rhodes and Vision offered to stay behind to monitor and watch Maximoff, who could not be permitted to leave the Compound to come with them. Laura didn’t seem too upset with that, something that several of them noticed.

The visiting area is a simple, well lit room with several chairs and a television hanging on the wall. The program playing is mildly entertaining, but the majority of them tone out the sound as background noise despite its volume. The coffee table is covered in old, outdated magazines that Barnes has taken to flipping through in silence.

“She is not what I was expecting.” Banner and Tony share a smile between them at T’Challa’s statement.

“Yeah, she caught us off guard too.” Tony says as Banner gives him a look.

“You were more than caught ‘off guard’. You were calling everyone ‘Agents’.”

Tony shrugs. “They could have been.”

“You called a six year old a ‘Mini Agent’, you were all freaked out.” Tony rolls his eyes, but there’s an ease to his body as he relaxes into the couch.

“Of course it was a mini agent. Did you see those puppy eyes? Weapons I tell you, weapons of mass destruction. I would know one when I saw one.” Banner laughs and attempts to turn down the volume on the soap opera, but gives up as the remote seems to be lacking the required battery power.

“Really Tony? Her?” Barnes asks from his spot on the other side of Tony and Tony glances over to see him holding up the magazine on a page that has Tony laughing with a brunette.

“All lies.” He says easily and Barnes takes it back, flipping through the articles.

“I’m surprised that you maintained contact with Ms. Barton.” Tony nods at his statement.

“Had to at first, with Romanoff and Rogers plastering SHIELD information all over the internet. We had to do a quick extraction of the Barton’s and get them relocated. After that…I don’t know, she just kind of adopted me as one of her pet projects I guess. Somewhere down the road I became ‘Uncle Tony’.” There’s a small smile on Tony’s face as he says it. It clearly pleases him to be considered part of the family.

T’Challa remembers the incident. Wakanda had been in an uproar, with the information of SHIELD agents who had tried to infiltrate their nation and of the various injustices done by this third party organization on such a global scale. “It was not well thought out.”

“That’s a Rogers’s plan for you. I have no idea why Nick helped him do it. I figure he has his reasons, we just don’t know them yet. They’ll show up though, and bite us in the ass.” Barnes elbows Tony gently to get his attention again and holds up a new page with another ridiculous photo of Tony and some statue. “True.” He turns his attention back to T’Challa as Barnes’s eyes get a little wide and he starts reading the article more in depth. It’s almost comical.

“Will Ms. Barton be staying at the Compound?” Tony shakes his head no and T’Challa feels disappointed. Ms. Barton’s arrival seemed to put everyone on their best behavior and T’Challa is sorry to hear that she’ll be heading back. Not surprised though, since children were mentioned. With Clint in jail, Laura is needed more than ever with the little ones. “That is too bad, I was looking forward to getting to know her.”

“She’ll be in and out over the next few months. Dealing with some things, so you’ll get the time to meet her later if you want.”

“Then I’m looking forward to it.” Tony hums in acknowledgement and lowers his sunglasses over his eyes, lying his head back and getting some shut eye. It surprises T’Challa a little at the ease in which his breathing levels out.

It speaks of the huge leaps between the two men to his right over the past week. When T’Challa had arrived at the Compound with Barnes still in Cryo and had requested that Tony look at the arm to see if his projected plans could work in line with the machinery already attached to the man, Tony had been hesitant to go near him. Fearful that he’d snap again and terrorize a man that had been used as a pawn in Tony’s personal tragedy. To see him now, so easily lying next him, to see the trust that Tony’s showing all of them. This is a man who has been betrayed and scapegoated by his ‘friends’ and team mates for years, and yet who still seems to believe that there are those who might be on his side. Who still sees that there are still those who might be able to be trusted with his vulnerability. It speaks of a tremendous strength of character.

Barnes’s reaction to it is strange in his own way. He’s scanning the various articles ranging in subjects and he seems completely at ease himself – but T’Challa knows differently. He can see the way that Barnes’s eyes glance up at each guard rotation, checking if there are any threats. It’s almost as if, by resting his eyes, Tony has activated the sentry in the Winter Soldier. T’Challa is surprised at this turn of events, but he guesses he shouldn’t be. Barnes seems to be the only member of the media coined ‘Team Cap’ who seems to have the ability to ask FRIDAY to have Tony leave the workshop. T’Challa has seen how they poke at each other and throw silly jabs at one another over the kitchen counter. It is all to the annoyance of Captain America, T’Challa hasn’t figured out yet if it’s because Tony seems to pay the brunet more attention than the Captain or if it’s because Barnes’s attention is easily divided when Tony enters the room.

T’Challa can relate with Barnes on that fact. Tony does tend to fill up a room when he enters it, drawing all attention to him like a magnet.

They share a companionable silence between them, just the noise of the television show that’s clearly wrapping up in the background. T’Challa hears the footsteps at the same time that Barnes does and gently reached out to tap Tony’s knee. Brown eyes open and look at him questioningly for a moment. “Mr. Rogers and Miss Romanoff are approaching.” Tony does a small nod and stretches before sitting up fully by the time they come around the corner and into the waiting area designated to the Avengers. Rogers looks ready to hit something, there’s anger and frustration thrumming through his body and Romanoff’s face gives away nothing.

“Are we ready to go?” Tony asks and Rogers shakes his head.

“Laura wanted some alone time with Clint.” He shakes his head. “She wanted him to sign the divorce papers.”

“So she wanted privacy? I can understand that.” Tony states and Rogers shakes his head.

“You just…you just _had_ to push Tony. You couldn’t have just…” He cuts himself off, it looks like it takes a lot of effort. Tony for the most part seems mildly unconcerned with whatever Rogers was trying to get out. “Are you happy now?”

Tony gives Steve a disbelieving look for a moment before shaking his head. “No, we’re not going to get into this now.”

“When are we going to ‘get into it’ Tony? Hmm? When are we going to talk about the damage you’ve done?”

“Perhaps never?” Tony starts, continuing quickly. “This is not the time or place Rogers. Look around you, look where we are. Do you honestly believe that we’re not being recorded?” That seems to shut Steve up for a moment. Only a moment though before a small, irritated sneer crosses his face.

“Oh, so it’s okay when _you’re_ the one recording people whether they want it or not, but if someone else decides to do it – _then_ it’s not okay.”

“We’re not getting into this here Rogers.”

Steve shakes his head. “No, we are. What are you so afraid of other people knowing hmm? What you did? How you betrayed your team? Your family?”

T’Challa steps in at that moment. “That is quite enough Mr. Rogers.” He says with all of the authority that he’s learned how to imbue in his voice from a young age. “Miss. Romanoff, please remove him from the area.”

Steve tugs off Natasha’s hand on his arm. “No, you saw it Tony. He looks like a ghost in there. He looks like a man who has had his life ripped away from him, and when Laura had them send in the pages?” He shakes his head, clearly emotionally traumatized by whatever transpired in the visiting area. “That’s what you did.”

“Stevie that’s enough.” Barnes snaps, moving around Tony and going over to where Steve was. “Walk it off.” He demands and Steve goes to say something when the sound of someone rushing up to their area catches their attention. A young guard comes into view, winded from rushing from his post to their location.

“We have a problem.” Is what Rodrick, according to his name badge, says.

“What is it?” Rogers asks and much to everyone’s surprise, Rodrick ignores the blonde and looks right at Tony.

“There are camera crews setting up outside. There were dozens of media vans pulling up when I left.”

“What? Why?” Tony asks and Rodrick gives him a remorseful look as he glances past them and points into the room. They all turn to see what he’s pointing at, and in seconds they know. The news program playing at the moment was showing images of Captain America and Iron Man fighting in Siberia. It showed Tony getting knocked down and how Steve straddled him, bringing down the shield in his hands over and over again. Ripping off the face mask and continuing his assault on the man beneath him.

A pained groan comes from the corner and they all look at Bruce who is clutching his chest with a look of extreme strain. The Hulk is pushing to make an appearance and everyone in the room is tense with the realization.

“Bruce?” Natasha goes over and reaches out for him and he practically snarls at her.

“Don’t touch me!” The guard puts his hand on his service weapon and T’Challa almost wants to ask him what he thinks one little gun is going to do against the Hulk?

“Bruce? Bruce buddy you need to calm down.” Tony closes the gap between the two of them quickly and places a hand on the scientists shoulder.

“I…can’t….” Tony shakes his head.

“You have to Bruce, get control. We’re in the middle of a prison and there are dozens of cameras already in place outside. Come on…Will a lullaby work?”

Natasha looks poised to perform this ‘lullaby’ as Bruce shakes his head. “If she touches me…don’t let her…” Tony nods,

“Okay, no that’s cool. She’s leaving, she’s not staying.” Tony waves for them to go behind his body. “What about me? Can I try?” T’Challa misses Bruce’s response, as the other three all move to vacate the area. Barnes and Natasha both put a hand on Steve, pushing him out with them as T’Challa hears Tony’s voice taking on a gentle, soothing cadence as he says something about the sun getting low.

“We shouldn’t be leaving Tony in there with him.” Steve says once they’re out in the hall. “We need to evacuate this building.” The guard looks like he’s ready to take off and do such a foolish thing but T’Challa stops him.

“It is far too late for that, and I believe that Dr. Banner is already calming down.”

“Bruce should have let Natasha do the lullaby.” Steve snaps, frustrated. “We shouldn’t be leaving Tony alone in there, he’s going to mess it up. He’s always trying to goad Bruce into letting out the Hulk.”

“I seriously doubt that Mr. Stark is foolish enough to want the Hulk to make an appearance at this precise moment in time Captain.”

Steve gives him a contemptuous look. “All due respect, I think you don’t know a thing about what Tony wants.”

“Neither apparently, do you.” The comeback slips out of his mouth, something that rarely happens but once the challenge is out, T’Challa realizes that he does not want to take it back or lessen it. The arrogance of this man has eroded his patience for long enough, and he will no longer abide the rules of diplomacy while dealing with him.

Natasha takes the pause to step between them. “I don’t think now is the time for this.” She scolds, sending a quick glance at Rodrick. The man himself seems to be torn between continued terror of the impeding Hulk arrival or the fascination with whatever is going down between the Avengers themselves.

T’Challa wants to mentally sigh. They’re almost as bad as that soap opera that Banner was watching earlier. Tony pokes his head around the corner a moment later. “Hey, can we get some water in here please? And my phone? I need my phone.”

The guard nods and takes off again and T’Challa approaches the door. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. Bruce has this under control, he just forgets that sometimes.” Tony runs a hand through his hair. “When he returns with my phone, will you call Pepper? I need damage control ASAP. Also we need the Quinjet, up on the roof. We can’t go out through that circus.”

“We’ll be seen as running away.” T’Challa warns and Tony shrugs helplessly.

“Better than what might happen if we try to push our way through them.”

T’Challa nods. “Consider it done.”

Steve steps forward. “Tony…” There’s an almost plea to his voice and Tony just shakes his head.

“Not right now Steve.” The blonde almost looks like he wants to push it but the guard returns with the phone and the small bottle of water. He holds them out and Tony makes an aborted gesture, looking irritated and distressed for a moment.

“Is everything alright?” T’Challa asks and Steve answers him instead.

“He doesn’t like being handed things.” It’s said with a small amount of smug pride. Like Rogers is rubbing in this thing he knows about the brunet that T’Challa does not. Steve takes the water and the phone, placing them down on a nearby ledge and Tony takes the water before thanking the guy and going back into the room with Bruce. T’Challa grabs the phone and it takes a second to realize why Tony was so alright with leaving it behind in the required storage area.

“FRIDAY?” He asks and the screen lights up.

“Yes your majesty?”

“Tony has asked me to call Miss Potts.”

“Calling.” T’Challa is caught a little off guard when instead of normal ringing, a blaring rendition of what American’s would call ‘Classic Rock’ comes over the speakers. T’Challa recognizes the song and waits for Pepper to pick up.

“See? Loud.” Is the inane nonsense that Rogers’s states and T’Challa glances up to see Barnes giving Rogers an unimpressed look. Barnes catches T’Challa’s questioning stare and shakes his head.

“You don’t want to know.” Is what he gets and he hears the other side pick up.

“Your majesty?” Pepper asks and T’Challa places it up to his ear, trusting FRIDAY to turn down the volume.

“Hello Miss Potts. I assume you are aware of the situation?”

“Every news station has been running the story non-stop for the last twenty minutes. I’ve been trying to get in contact with Tony but it’s impossible to get a message to you in there.”

“Do we know how it got out?”

“Anonymous upload onto YouTube of all things.” She huffs in obvious frustration. “The account was made just to upload the videos.”

“Videos?”

“Yeah…it’s not just the fight between Steve and Tony…they’ve got the video of the assassination as well. They’ve both been posted. We’re running damage control, but it’s already spiraling out of our hands. You guys need to get out of there.”

“Mr. Stark asked that the Quinjet be sent to the prison, up on the roof. We’ll be using it to leave.”

“Already on its way. It should be there in five.”

“Thank you Miss Potts.”

She says something about ‘not thanking her yet’ before the call ends. Natasha is looking right at him. “Which videos?”

“The ones from Siberia.” She frowns and both Steve and Barnes get uncomfortable looks. “We need to leave.” He walks over to the doorway and knocks gently on the frame, poking his head in. Banner and Tony are sitting down, whispering and they look up the minute he steps in. “The jet will be here in five. We should start moving.”

“We need to get Laura.” Is Tony’s reply as he stands alongside Banner. T’Challa nods and turns to the guard.

“Would it be possible to send a message to Ms. Barton? We need to be going, immediately.” Rodrick nods, going to leave. It’s entertaining to watch him move around Natasha, but he bumps shoulders with Steve as he goes by. It shakes Rodrick more than it shakes Steve, but the other man just keeps walking.

“What was all that about?” Steve wonders aloud and T’Challa is almost impressed by his blindness as to what is happening around him.

“That Mr. Rogers, is the first of many I’m sure.” Is all the warning T’Challa feels in him to give and he places himself between Tony and Bruce and the rest of them as they make their way to the jet. Laura meets them on the roof, confused at first but filled in quickly enough by Natasha. No one speaks as they strap in and the plane takes off, piloted by FRIDAY.

It takes a few seconds, glancing down at all of the camera’s down below before he hears Natasha speak to Bruce. “I’m sorry.”

“Do you even know what you’re sorry for?” Is the tired response and Natasha falls silent. T’Challa almost wants to rub his temples at the new layer of drama unfolding around him.

T’Challa almost feels like roller coasters have less up and downs than the Avengers do right now.

“Let’s just get back to the Compound. We’ll come up with a plan when we get there.” Is Tony’s final offering and no one argues with him.

-           -           -           -           -

There are more cameras out on the lawn of the Compound as the jet flies over and lands in the hangar. They shuffle off of the plane and migrate down into the main area.

There’s an exhaustion in Tony’s step, like that of a man who has not caught a break in far too long. T’Challa reaches out and catches his attention. “Are you alright? If you need some time before-” Tony gives him a tired smile and shakes his head.

“The longer Steve and I hide out, the worse it’s going to get.” T’Challa knows this is true, but it is also false. Things have been going in favor of Iron Man for some time after the events of the Accords and the archer. Seeing a video like this would undoubtedly only bring frustration and scorn out for Captain America. However, T’Challa knows that Tony’s looking at the big picture. He’ll step on this mine in order to prevent as much damage to the Avengers as he can.

“I am willing to help in any capacity. Just ask and it will be done.” Tony nods and he turns to address the others.

“Alright, we’ve got damage control people. I say we-”

“Stark!” The Witch’s voice snaps across the area and everyone turns to look at her storming in. “What were you thinking? Releasing those videos?”

Tony gives her a pretty good impression of what T’Challa figures is a ‘WTF’ face. “What? Why on earth would I _ever_ want to release those?” She goes to come closer but T’Challa steps in her way.

“Not any further Miss Maximoff.” She gives him a look like she could take him and is just humoring him. It irritates him immensely.

“You did it to damage Steve. To make yourself out to be the ‘victim’.”

Tony lets out a thin laugh. “Really? That’s your brilliant deduction of my supposed ‘evil plan’? You know what, I’m actually not even mad. It’s so unbelievably _stupid_ that I’m not even angry. I’m baffled mostly. A little concerned and kind of a little impressed by the mental Olympics that you must have had to do to get to that conclusion.”

Wanda puffs up a little at Tony’s insult and immediately it’s obvious this is about to go down badly. Tony seems to realize it to, by the red circling her fingers but he must be at the edge of his rope. “Oh, are we finally doing this? I was wondering when it was going to happen. You realize that doing this _now_ only hurts whatever cause you’re fighting for right?” She doesn’t seem to care about what he’s saying.

“You destroy everything you touch Stark. I won’t let you keep hurting my family.”

Tony shakes his head. “Think before you do this Maximoff. If you attack, you’ll lose your Avenger status. If you manage to, what – kill me? Is that what you’re after? If you manage to do that how do you think it’s going to look for Steve? Another one of his loyal followers attacks Iron Man. And _right_ after that video got released? This is a foolish time to make this stand.”

“I am an Avenger no matter what _you_ say Stark.”

“No you’re not. You’re a misguided woman with powers she doesn’t understand who seems to have been mentally stunted in adolescence. Take yourself out of us, what happens to the next person with powers like yours if the media gets wind of this? What happens to Vision?”

Her eyes flash and her lips curls back in a snarl. “You dare threaten Vision?”

“ _You’re_ threatening Vision right now Wanda. If you do this, they’ll go after him. The stone gave you your powers, they’ll fear him. They’ll say he creates monsters. Is that what you want?” Tony shakes his head. “This is about so much more than just you and me. Everything we do is being used against those weaker than us, those who are more scared than us. Those who are less visible than us.”

“I am not a monster Stark.” It’s obvious the energy in the room is like a powder keg waiting to go off. Wanda seems to not realize that Tony is the only thing protecting her from T’Challa, Banner and Barnes.

“Good, then that makes this choice easy. Go calm down, and when you’re ready to talk like a rational adult, you come find us.”

“Wanda, I appreciate the backup…but Tony’s right. Now isn’t the time.” Steve’s voice is gentle and Wanda looks at him.

“If he continues, he’ll destroy everything. That’s all he knows how to do. Like he destroyed my family. Like how he destroyed Sokovia.”

“I didn’t kill your family.” Tony’s shoulders have gone back and any progress that Rogers may have had calming down the Witch vanish.

“Yes you did Stark.”

“Did you ever bother to track who set off the bombs? Did you ever wonder why a – at the time – playboy billionaire cared at all about bombing your home?”

“It’s your fault.”

“Is it? Is it really? What motive did I have?” Anger crosses her features. “Tell me Wanda, tell me what possible reason I could have for dropping a bomb on Sokovia.” She doesn’t answer him. “The answer? Is none. I had no reason to.” The harsh tone to his voice leaves, suddenly the tired man from before returns. “Wanda, I get it. I really do. I know what it’s like to fixate on the wrong part of the puzzle. I know what it’s like to lash out in rage and damage someone who was innocent. It doesn’t help. It doesn’t make the pain go away.” Tony took a step towards her and it took everything in T’Challa to not reach out and pull the reckless engineer behind him. “I’m not your enemy Wanda. I’m not Steve’s enemy. I’m tired of being _anyone’s_ enemy. We’ve all been dealt a shitty hand and we’re trying to cope with it.” There’s a moment of indecision on her face. “Help us Wanda. Help us fix this. Help us show people that we’ve got this. Help us show them that there’s nothing to fear.”

Tony stands in front of her, waiting. Clearly putting himself at the Witch’s mercy. For a second, no one breathes. It’s like standing on the razors edge and they’re all just waiting to see what happens.

The red disappears from her fingers and Wanda takes a shaky step back. “This isn’t the time for this Stark. But don’t think I’ve forgiven you.” Wanda shifts and walks around Tony, going to Steve’s side.

Tony stands still for a minute, his eyes closed and shaking his head. T’Challa reaches out for him and Tony gives him a small smile. “I’m good.” He claps his hands, placing up his ‘Tony Stark’ mask for all of them to see. “Alright people, we’ve got shit to do.”


	12. Chapter 12

 

 

“Alright, they’re gonna try and anger you. They’re gonna bring up Barnes, they’re gonna spit on him and you just have to grin and bear it.” Tony shifts to stand in front of him and brushes the wrinkles off his shoulders. “Don’t feel like you have to answer every question.” Tony’s hands slide to Steve’s collar once he’s satisfied with his previous work and he starts fixing it. “Don’t talk about the Accords, just say that since they’re currently under work we can’t discuss them at this time. Don’t let them drag you under the bus. If they ask about blame or responsibility, bring up Zemo. Let me do most of the talking okay?”

Steve feels an amused smile come to his lips and Tony arches an eyebrow at his amusement. “What?” The brunet asks and Steve just shrugs.

“I’ve seen you fly into some of our worse battles with less worry than this.” Tony sighs.

“I’d rather be in the suit getting my ass kicked any day of the week over this.”

Steve shakes his head with a small roll of his eyes. “It’s just a press conference Tony. We’ve had hundreds of press conferences before and we’ve been fine.”

Tony gives him a look and drops his hands as he takes a step back. Steve feels like he’s said something wrong by the other’s response. “What did I say?” He asks and Tony shrugs like it’s nothing.

“Nothing.” Steve gives him a look and Tony looks away. “Just semantics. _We_ haven’t been in hundreds of press conferences. _I’ve_ been the sole Avenger who handles the press, public events and our public image.” Steve feels like there’s a deeper, unspoken resentment that Tony is exhibiting.

“You like doing this stuff.” Steve says and Tony gives him a baffled look.

“Doing what? Press conferences?”

“I’ve seen you up there. You love it, don’t lie.” Tony looks like he goes to say something before he stops, shakes his head and clearly decides to change the subject.

“Whatever, look.” Tony glances out at the area containing all of the reporters. “If any of them mention anything about the ‘Civil War’.” Tony rolls his eyes at the nickname given to their previous antics. “Remember, we never split over the Accords. We were always working side by side.”

“If only _that_ had been true.” Steve can’t help, and doesn’t really want to help, the reprimand. Tony closes his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath. It’s not really Steve’s fault that Tony escalated that whole situation for nothing. What did Tony have to show for it? The Avengers were now under his ‘leadership’ yes – but that would be temporary. It wouldn’t be long before Tony did something and left them all reeling from his inability to be a team player.

“Anyways.” Tony continues, clearly choosing not to insult either of them with arguing against Steve’s statement. “The official story is that we knew about the Winter Soldier Core, we knew about Zemo. We were just covering our tracks because Ross couldn’t be trusted.”

“And they bought that?” Steve asks, wondering about the so called ‘intelligence’ of this UN. These are the people who seem to think that they know better than the Avengers on what the Avengers should do? And they bought that stupid and unrealistic story?

Tony gives him a deadly serious look. “I _sold_ that,” he snaps. Steve’s stopped from responding as Happy pokes his head into the area.

“Boss? I’ve got her.” Tony nods and motions for Happy to let whoever ‘her’ is. A few moments later a leggy blonde enters the area. Her makeup and hair are perfect, and she looks slightly familiar. Like Steve’s seen her around somewhere before.

“Tony.” She greets, and there’s an undercurrent of _something_ in her voice. Her smile is all razors and the smile Tony gives back is just as sharp.

“Christine. Thank you for coming.” Tony motions to Steve. “Christine Everhart, Steve Rogers.” He introduces and Steve watches her size him up.

“Pleasure to meet you ma’am.” She inclines her head, a brief show of common curtesy before opting to completely ignore Steve for Tony.

“So Tony, what’s this about? You know I need to be out on the floor.” She grins. “It promises to be quite interesting.”

“Unfortunately we don’t have time to dance around the subject, so let me cut to the chase. What do you want?” She looks affronted, it’s clearly a show and Steve has no idea what’s going on.

“Why Mr. Stark, I hope you’re not trying to bribe a member of the press.” Steve shoots an accusatory glance at Tony and the brunet shrugs.

“These are desperate times Miss Everhart.” He glances out at the floor. “What do you want?”

“What are we bargaining?”

“I need your help out there. I need you to pull the plug when it gets out of hand.” She frowns, leaning her weight to one side and crossing her arms.

“You’re that worried about what’s going to happen out there?” The smile Tony gives her this time is slightly brittle. She just takes in the weakness that he’s chosen to share with her before looking at her perfect manicure.

“I want the real story about what happened that night.”

“Which night, there are so many now. I’m starting to lose track.” She looks him dead in the eye.

“I want to know what really happened on that highway. I want to know what happened with the other suit, who was piloting it and why.” Tony’s coloring fades slightly, but that’s the only outward tell that he gives.

“You’re going to need to do a lot more for _that_ story.” There’s a wound there. Steve can see it, and he can see that this ‘Christine’ sees it too.

“What do you want?”

“I want the videos pulled.” She seems to think about it before shrugging.

“I can probably swing that. Pretend that we’re taking the higher road by no longer showing them. The other stations will probably follow suit.” She gives him a look. “You know that’s only a band aid though.”

“I know, I want more though.” She tilts her head before motioning for him to continue. “You can drag Hydra in the dirt all you want, but any references to the Winter Soldier or James Buchanan Barnes is in soft reference. I want it _immediately_ stressed afterwards that the Winter Soldier was under mind control and is not held accountable for what Hydra used him for.”

“…Tony…” There’s a look of uncertain concern on her face. “You know that you don’t have-” He nods.

“I know, but you know how quickly that could get out of hand. I need this contained. You get me that…and I’ll give you the real reports about what happened that night.”

“I want a personal interview after I get the reports.”

“Hold up your end of the bargain and throw in some pro Spider-Man propaganda to drown out Jamison…and you’ve got it.” She holds out her hand and he takes it, both of their shark like smiles have returned.

“Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Stark.”

“Likewise Miss Everhart.” She saunters off the way she came in and Tony rubs a hand over his face.

“What was all that about?” Steve asks and Tony looks at him like he’d forgotten that Steve was still standing there.

“Christine is a well-respected journalist who has a lot more power than people think she does. If she can help minimalize this from her side then we might just have a chance.” He rubs a hand over his face. “God…I had hoped they’d forgotten about that.”

“About what?”

“The Iron Monger.” The name is said with so much emphasis that it surprises Steve. He hasn’t heard of any ‘Iron Monger’ before, but this seems…deeply personal. Tony turns to him with his poker face back in place as he motions to where the press is waiting. “Remember what I told you and we might just make it out of this.”

-           -           -           -           -

It’s like walking into a wall of light as they move to the stage. No questions are being asked as they approach their designated spots. Tony walks up to the podium and gives a charming smile.

“I feel like I just saw all of you.” He jokes and there’s a general rumble of laughter from the reporters. Steve figures he’s making light of the media frenzy that happened here when Hawkeye had been hauled away to prison. Steve barely manages not to clench his fist. An innocent man was paraded around in front of them and now just a few days later they _laugh_ about it. “Now, I know you all have questions so I guess we should just rip the band aid off and get this over with yes?” There’s a murmured consensus of agreement with Tony’s statement as several hands shoot out. Tony glances around before his eyes land on one. “Let’s start with you Nate, what’s your question?”

Nate, who is a spectacled red head with freckles that Steve can see from here, stands with a smile. “Thank you Mr. Stark. Can you confirm the authenticity of the videos that were released online of a battle in Siberia between Captain America, yourself and the Winter Soldier?”

“To be honest, I can’t at this point.” Tony shakes his head. “I haven’t seen them myself, not yet at least.”

“Can you give some clarification about what transpired in that Siberian base?” Nate continues and Tony nods.

“Of course. The three of us went up against a man named Helmut Zemo, the man found guilty of being the true bomber of the UN council. Zemo had already murdered several other members of the Winter Soldier project and sought to create discord within the Avengers.” Tony gets a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry to say that he managed quite spectacularly.”

Several hands go up and Tony glances around. “Yolanda.” He picks next and Steve wonders how many of these reporters Tony knows by name, especially when he couldn’t be bothered to remember names like Phil Coulson’s.

“Mr. Stark. There’s been some concern over the images presented in the un-authenticated Siberian videos. In them, it appears that a rather violent battle breaks out between the three of you. Did this battle occur and if it did how are the Avengers handling the aftermath?”

“I can confirm that I did attack Captain America and James Barnes while we were still in the Hydra base.”

Steve stands still, awkward in a way he hasn’t been since he first started doing the horrible Captain America War Support Tours. He takes in everything Tony is saying and is slightly impressed by the billionaire taking full responsibility for his unnecessary actions against the two of them. Half of Steve expected Tony to ask Steve to lessen the blow of Tony’s reaction and help save face with the image of Iron Man.

“Captain Rogers.” The call of his name snaps him out of his internal thoughts. He stands a little straighter. “Can you explain what your thoughts were when you left Iron Man beaten in the Hydra Base?”

“I knew that Tony would be fine and I wanted to give him some separation from Bucky and myself.” The dark haired woman frowns before her hand raises again and Steve nods for her to continue.

“Have you seen the video Mr. Rogers?”

“I have not.”

“Do you have recollection of taking the shield, created by your old war comrade Howard Stark, and bringing it down until the Iron Man suit lost integrity and you were able to pull off the helmet and damage the casing to the arc reactor power source?” Steve pauses, his mind flashing through those last few minutes.

“I did disable the Iron Man armor by taking out the power source.”

“And the helmet?” Steve pauses and thinks about how Tony’s eyes widened in fear as Steve raised the shield overhead and how Tony pulled his hands up to protect himself from Steve.

“Yes ma’am.”

“This is the same suit that is able to withstand a considerable amount of damage without faltering yes?” She pauses. “Then may I ask how much force you used to ‘disable’ the suit?”

Steve pauses. “I…I’m unsure ma’am. As much as it took.”

“And then you left an injured team mate in a ‘disabled’ suit, by your own hands, alone in a frozen wasteland and in enemy territory?” Steve shakes his head.

“No ma’am.”

“But you did ‘disable’ the suit by your own admission. You also, by your own admission, admitted to leaving Mr. Stark behind as you vacated the area with James Barnes…did you send assistance for him?”

Steve goes to say something when Tony interrupts. “FRIDAY, the AI copilot of the suit had already sent out a distress call to the Vision as well as dispatching the Iron Legion.” Steve nods and she writes some things down as a new reporter is chosen.

“Did you know that Mr. Stark’s AI had sent that distress call Mr. Rogers?”

“I guessed as much.” Steve answers honestly and the man presses on.

“But did you _know_?” He adds the emphasis and Steve pauses.

“FRIDAY is interwoven into the suit. When it went offline, I figured there were protocols that would be placed into effect in order to send assistance to Tony.”

“So just for clarification…that’s a no?”

“It was a safe bet.” Steve defends and he can’t help but feel like he’s being attacked for something. Something that wasn’t fully his fault.

“Mr. Stark!” Tony accepts the next question and Steve feels a little of the feeling of being pressed down upon lighten up. “How long did it take for the Vision and the Iron Legion to retrieve you from the Siberian Base?”

Tony takes a second before answering. “A few hours.”

“Please forgive me for prying, but the only thing at this point that we know for sure is that you were immediately moved into the ER upon your arrival and you were maintained in the hospital for over a three weeks where you had up to three verified surgeries. Would you comment on whether the injuries that you sustained at that time were directly responsible for these surgeries and your required hospital stay?”

“I can say that they added to injuries that I had already previously sustained.”

“Did they play a vital role in the resulting hospital stay?” Steve doesn’t hear whatever Tony says because his mind is playing over new information. Three surgeries? Why did Tony need three separate surgeries?

An uncomfortable feeling settles in his stomach as he wonders if he really is the reason why Tony had to go under. Realistically he knows that he isn’t responsible for the required force that he had to use on Tony to keep the other down long enough to flee the scene. Emotionally though, he feels a brief moment of guilt for how alone Tony must have felt trapped in the damaged Iron Man armor.

Steve did that.

Well, Steve and Tony, but Steve doesn’t like being part of that equation in any part.

“Mr. Rogers.” The feeling of being singled out is back and Steve nods. “It’s said that you didn’t agree with the first draft of the Accords, may we ask why?”

“I didn’t agree with what they were.” In the corner of his eye he sees Tony sending him a silent ‘abort’ look.

“’What they were’ can you elaborate?”

“I understand that we’ve made some mistakes, but like I told Tony when he and Ross first brought them to the Avengers to sign – that we need to take responsibility for our own actions and the Accords just moved the blame somewhere else. The Avengers were created to be a force of good, and to protect the people. The Accords meant well I’m sure, but at the end of the day they were just a collective bunch of red tape that would prevent us from being where we needed to be and when we needed to be there.”

“So, to be clear: you think having a clear establishment of rules and regulations somehow shifts the blame for something that goes wrong into the ether?”

Steve shakes his head at the slightly incredulous tone. “No, that’s not what I said.”

“Do you believe in the sovereignty of nations Mr. Rogers?” Tony goes to step forward and Steve holds up a hand to show Tony that he doesn’t need his help with this reporter who is trying to twist his words into having meaning that he doesn’t mean.

“Of course I do.”

“And yet, you feel that the Avengers should be above all governments?”

“I never said that.”

“You implied it when you said that the Accords prevented you from being,” he looks down at his notepad, “where you needed to be and when you needed to be there.”

“What Steve is trying to say is that he was concerned about the lag time between a green light for the Avengers to come into the situation and the number of people that might get hurt during that timeframe.” Tony steps in and Steve nods.

“Mr. Rogers, would you not agree that if the Avengers had followed Accords like procedures, then a tragedy like Lagos might not have happened.”

“If the Avengers had not been in Lagos at the time we were, then Rumlow would have made off with a potentially dangerous bioweapon.” Steve replies and he shrugs off the grip that Tony gives him on his forearm behind the podium. “What happened in Lagos was a tragedy, but sometimes we cannot control everything.”

“And yet, the Avengers had set up shop in Lagos and were waiting this ‘Rumlow’ out yes? Then there was plenty of time to inform the Nigerian government that a terrorist cell was present in their city and would be arriving within the city of Lagos.”

“We couldn’t risk information leaking.”

“Are you implying that the Nigerian government is in league with the terrorist cell that Rumlow was part of?”

“No, that’s not what I said.” The grip on his arm returns with a much tighter grip. “I’m saying that it’s a well-known fact that sometimes individuals with agenda’s find themselves in positions of power and are able to hinder everyone else.”

“Are you implying that you believe the UN is corrupted with these people with ‘agendas’?”

“We need to look no further than Ross.” Hands shot up at his statement and flashes went off, Tony’s grip didn’t lessen as he looked out amongst the crowd. Steve saw a hand come up, holding a red pen and he noticed the reporter from before.

There was a moment of pause before Tony called out her name.

-           -           -           -           -

Steve followed Tony out of the area, the brunet storming off the stage with the blondes return to the point of the press conference and her pry into the first video shown in Siberia.

Steve rushed to catch up to the other man and put a hand on his shoulder. “Tony? Tony are you okay?” Tony’s shoulders were shaking and his hand was over his face, but he didn’t turn back towards Steve. “That was uncalled for, she shouldn’t have brought up Howard like that.”

There’s a moment before Tony turns around and Steve realizes that he’s not crying – he’s laughing. “What? What are you talking about? That woman is _brilliant._ God, I need to send her a fucking gift basket with how she saved our _asses_ in there.” He taps his ear. “FRI?” There’s a pause where the AI must reply to her creator. “Please send Christine a ‘thank you’ package…Whatever you want. Make it nice and make it expensive.” He looks back at Steve, pausing a second before lashing out and hitting him upside the head.

“What? What was that for?”

“Are you fucking kidding me? I _told_ you not to bring up the Accords.”

“I wanted people to know our side of this.”

“No you didn’t, you were thinking that we’re just some evil little group hiding in the shadows trying to put a leash on the Avengers and that if you told everyone and forced it out into the open that they’d be forced to back off and the Accords would magically go away.” Steve doesn’t say anything against the statement. Tony’s not a hundred percent wrong. Steve figured that if people saw his side of the argument, if they _understood_ why the Avengers didn’t need something like the Accords then they would battle the Accords just as strongly as Steve had. “When are you going to learn? What can I do to help you realize that this is happening? That I’m actually surprised it didn’t happen _sooner_?”

“We’ve worked just fine until now. The Avengers need to have the freedom to operate without restrictions so that we can protect innocent people.”

“News flash Steve, the Avengers aren’t above reproach. We’re not perfect and we don’t get to say that when it comes to the governments of the world that the Avengers rest at a higher level than they do and that they have no say in how we operate within their borders.”

“It worked perfectly when we were chasing down Hydra cells.” Tony pauses and takes a step back, a contemplative look on his face.

“Steve…we had _permission_ to be in those countries.” This statement catches Steve a little off guard.

“What?”

“What did you think JARVIS and I were doing half of the time? Why do you think I hired on Hill? We maintained an open communication with the various countries we were traveling to. They were giving us the green light to go in and handle Hydra.” Tony shakes his head. “It was only when you and Romanoff started doing your own designated black op team missions that it became a problem.”

“We weren’t black ops.”

“Yes you were Steve. You were a private group who came into the country illegally and proceeded to fuck shit up.” Tony shakes his head. “And then you had to go and add Wanda to the team.”

“Watch it.” Steve warns and Tony presses on.

“No, you need to hear this. She needs to hear this. Wanda is twenty six years old. She is _not_ a child. She is an enhanced individual who came into the public eye as a terrorist who unleashed the Hulk into a populated area. She was Hydra. What did you think was going to happen when you refused to acknowledge the reality that we shouldn’t have taken her on as an active member?”

“Wanda has proven her worth Stark.”

“No she hasn’t, she’s proven that she’s _powerful_. She’s proven that she’s untrained and prone to violent and at times childish outbursts.” Tony shakes his head. “She should have never been out in the field. She should have started out small. We should have shown that she was training and was actually fucking contrite about her past. Instead of this bullshit about ‘I can’t control other people’s fears only my own’? What’s funny about that is just how fucking untrue it is. She is more than adept at controlling people’s fear, and relishing in doing it.”

“You want to yell at me for bringing on Wanda when _you_ go and bring on that Spider-kid.”

“Spider-Man” Tony corrects, almost as if he’s insulted in the place of the boy who isn’t here. “And yes- yell at me. Go ahead, because I was wrong. However don’t pretend that what I did is anything near what you did with Wanda. Spider-Man is well aware of his abilities and we ran through various simulations and training situations before we approached you at the airport. On top of that, I wasn’t bringing him into the field, I was bringing him into a family debate that got ugly. If I had known that you were going to bring Scott Lang and let that moron _hit_ the kid…” Tony gets a look like the thought or the memory physically hurts him. “I would have never brought anyone else with me.”

“The Avengers don’t need the Accords Tony.”

“Yes they do Steve.” Tony shakes his head. “And it really concerns me that we’re still having this argument after all of this time.”

“I’m not going to sign the Accords until I agree with every line.” _I’m not going to sign the Accords_ was clear and Tony just shook his head.

“Yes you will, or you retire. If you don’t this time Steve…I’m not coming to your rescue anymore.”

“You didn’t come to my rescue last time. You were the reason the Avengers fell apart.”

“No I wasn’t Steve, that was you. That was you who decided to lie to Wilson. That was you when you decided to lie to me. That was you when you decided that you didn’t like being told that you had to abide by silly little things like laws and rules. That was you when you decided that you wanted a _weapon_ so you had Clint come in and bring Wanda to you.”

“Wanda is _not_ a weapon Stark.”

“Keep saying that Steve, it doesn’t change the reality.” Tony shook his head and stepped around him. “If you keep digging this hole Steve, and if you decide to battle us again on these Accords…then you’ll realize just how much I’ve been protecting you when I no longer do it.” Tony glances back at him. “Fair warning Rogers.” And then he leaves.

-           -           -           -           -

**_Captain America Accuses United Nations of Being a Corrupt Institution._ **

Steve glances down at the headline of the article and frowns. The printed news is not being kind, accusing him of being a modern day anarchist while the television is no kinder. Tony has been avoiding him for the last three days, running back and forth between press conferences and other Avenger public image requirements.

He’s banned Steve from making an appearance while he ‘cleans up his mess’.

He also banned Steve from getting his mail, but Steve opposed that with a gusto. Tony tried to tell him that he wasn’t going to like what he saw and that he should at least let FRIDAY sort the letters for him.

Steve refused naturally, because he had no doubt that Tony would get rid of all of the letters that backed Steve or as Tony would put it: Gave Steve Ideas.

The results however were…a little less friendly than he expected. There were hundreds of what Tony was calling ‘hate mail’ where he was berated in ways that didn’t even make sense grammatically about how ‘Un-American’ he was.

_“No man left behind asshole, or did you not learn that while dancing around in tights?”_

_“You claim to fight for the ‘people’ and yet you continue to ignore them…so please, show us who these ‘people’ are. We’re all curious.”_

_“I used to look up to you, but now I see that all of our trust was misplaced because after all those sayings and slogans saying how you ‘don’t like bullies’ imagine our surprise when Captain America turns out to be nothing more than a liar and a bully.”_

“Damn, Tony brought his ‘A Game’ didn’t he?” Rhodes’s voice comes across the room as Steve looks up from the article to see the two dark skinned men watching a press release of a new Stark gadget and how he was evading Avengers questions.

T’Challa did a small, almost imperceptible nod. “He is quite masterful.” Steve feels a moment of resentment against the Wakandan King. He doesn’t know fully where all the feelings come from but he knows it starts with the Accords and ends somewhere with Tony.

“Yeah, I’d take over if I thought I could do half as well as he does, god how he hates those things. I never minded the free food.” Steve does a little head shake. That shows how well Tony’s supposed ‘best friend’ knew Tony. If there was anywhere that Tony thrived next to the shop it was in front of a large crowd with hundreds of people kissing his behind and throwing themselves at his feet.

Steve looks back down at the article. He wonders for a moment if this sort of heavily biased junk is all that people are getting in their homes to tell them about what is happening out in the world around them. This thing paints the Accords as the world’s savior from tyrants led by Captain America.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

He wonders how long before this passes over them like all bad press and reactions tend to. How long before the world starts to see things their way? He looks up at Tony on the screen and for maybe the first time wonders if maybe things blew over so quickly and in their favor so much because of Tony’s charisma and ability to lead the general public into marching to the beat of Stark’s drum.

A thought hits Steve’s mind and he realizes that maybe he’s going about this whole thing the wrong way. He keeps seeing this as Tony vs. Him because Tony just can’t see past the shiny veneer of the Accords. Then again Tony was often distracted and blinded by shiny things. But what if Steve doesn’t need to convince the world that the Accords are a bad thing? What if he took all of this energy and strength to prove it to Tony?

If Tony was on the side with him, then there would be nothing that they couldn’t do.

Tony was his right hand for a reason, and maybe Steve lost sight of that somewhere down the line. Maybe he spent too much time being worried about the wrong people’s opinion of him and his motives and didn’t focus enough on the one person that he should have been focusing on.

Maybe that’s what Bucky meant all that time ago. Tony had fallen out of love with Steve because what did Steve do to fan the flames? What kindness had he shown the brunet in the last few months?

Steve glanced back down at the paper in his hands with a growing idea in his head.


	13. Chapter 13

Tony twists the wires in-between his fingers as his eyes flick up to the holographic screen. “How’s that?” He asks, although it comes out like a weird mesh of mumbles around the screwdriver handle that he’s holding with his teeth. The screen runs through a quick diagnostic before the entire console lights up in red again.

 _‘Sorry Boss.’_ FRIDAY offers and Tony waves off the well-meaning statement.

“You know what they say, ’If at first you don’t succeed, try again.’” Is his new, completely unintelligible, muttered words of wisdom as he digs deeper into the control console.

 _‘I wouldn’t recommend that mentality when playing Russian roulette.’_ FRIDAY responds and Tony does a quick glance to the single camera that she’s monitoring the room from and gives it a playful wink. Seconds later he’s snatching his hand back as his fingers are singed while brushing the wrong wire. He drops the screwdriver with a curse and sucks on the stinging thumb.

“Not a word.” He warns to the AI with absolutely no heat in the words.

 _‘Wouldn’t dream of it Boss.’_ Is the completely amused reply. Tony laughs a little to himself, silently proud of FRIDAY’s growing snark levels as he adjusts his position better to see into the tangled mess of wires. He hasn’t had much time over the last few days, with Rogers’s horrible press conference and various media hounds trying to tear at the Avengers from every which way. Pepper’s been handling everything on the Stark Industries side, god bless that woman, but it hasn’t been a walk in the park. Even just managing to carve out a few hours every now and then to help work on whatever glitch is plaguing FRIDAY’s servers was a nightmare and a half.

Luckily, the majority of whatever is happening is contained to the Compound system- Tony would _hate_ to have to go in to rewire every building that his AI’s have been integrated into. Not that he wouldn’t do it in a heartbeat. Having FRIDAY glitch like this is like having a child who’s sick and you can’t seem to get the right medicine for them to make them better. FRIDAY offered to be swapped out for one of the other potential AI programs when they thought that the damage might have been in her coding, to which Tony responded in a completely rational (read: freaked the _fuck_ out) manner and let her know that under no circumstances was he going to pull the plug on her, and that there was no virus or glitch that she could get that would make him give up on her... _ever._

There were a few moments of relative silence, where Tony worked and FRIDAY kept his playlist going, before he heard the hollow echoing sound that preludes Vision’s arrival through the wall. Tony glanced up from where he was working to take in the new arrival.

“Hey Viz, how’s it looking?” Vision floats over to where Tony is, and Tony almost wants to smile at the new layered look he’s sporting. Vision has been playing around with several different images, trying to discern which is ‘him’ and has turned to reading fashion magazines, watching hilariously bad telenovelas, and late night infomercials to guide him. Tony’s offered his assistance whenever Vision decides he wants it, but for now the other man wants to try and figure it out himself, so Tony just funds the attempts the other keeps taking.

“My inspection of the wiring in the eastern quadrant did not reveal any answers as to the source of the condition.” Tony nods and rolls back his chair to his toolbox in order to grab what he needs.

“Alright…crap. Um, we checked the second floor circuit board didn’t we?” Vision nods.

“Last night. While you should have been resting.” Tony gives Vision a small smile.

“Disapproval noted, _dad_.” He jokes and slides back to his previous position. Vision just shakes his head, a gesture he’s becoming quite familiar with very quickly. “I’ll finish up here and then I’ll try and catch some shut eye before the meeting with Charles.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” There’s a pause and Tony feels the words that the other is currently weighing. He looks up and arches an eyebrow.

“Is there something else buddy?”

“I was asked to pass on a message that I am still deciding if I should pass on.” Tony’s not surprised since FRIDAY has also been taking messages, and Tony suspects promptly ignoring most of them, from Steve and Co. for the last few days and Tony figures that the quiet couldn’t really last.

“Can I ask who it’s from?” There’s a pause.

“Miss. Romanoff.” The name catches Tony a little off guard. Natasha had disappeared into the wind after the prison incident. There’d been no word of her or even media sighting, not that Tony was too surprised about that, ever since.

“She’s back?”

“It appears so.”

“…she wants to talk to me doesn’t she?” He knows he’s hit it right on the nose when Vision looks down and fidgets a little with the hem of his shirt for a few seconds before making an agreeing humming noise. “Okay…” Tony keeps working on the wires, but keeps glancing up to look at the body language that Vision is throwing off. Vision seems either unhappy or conflicted about something, or who knows maybe both. “Do you not want her to come down here?”

“It is not that I believe that Miss Romanoff poses an immediate, dire threat to you…” There’s a pause, “I just do not fully believe that she doesn’t either.” Tony tries, and promptly fails to keep the smile from his lips. It’s always humbling when Vision expresses concern for him. Long before Vision was born, Tony used to wonder if JARVIS would have chosen to stay with him and care about him if he hadn’t been the AI’s only option. These days however, seeing it in the flesh and still by some miracle holding a special place in the others mind is beyond comforting.

“If you wanted, you could stay down here while she says her piece.” Vision seems to weigh the option. “I don’t mind the company, and it’d let me know that I didn’t have to keep an eye on her.” There’s a second before Vision nods.

“Agreed, if you’ll wait one moment I will go collect her.”

“Thanks Viz.”

“Anytime Mr. Stark.” Tony is still trying to get Vision to call him _Tony_ instead of Mr. Stark, but Vision seems to like keeping things professional between all of his acquaintances and friends, and there are still times he accidentally says ‘Sir’, that Tony leaves it alone.

Vision returns a few moments later, using the elevator with Natasha. There’s something off in the redhead’s body language, but Tony can’t immediately place it. He glances back down at the wires. “Welcome back.”

She nods. “Thank you for speaking with me.” She doesn’t immediately say what she wants, so Tony decides to press forward.

“Did you need something?” He’s figuring that she’s got the slightly sad face on as a show, that’s what’s wrong- she’s not holding herself like a marble statue, and he figures he’s about to hear some sap story about why Clint has learned his lesson and Tony should drop the charges. Or maybe how Howard would be disappointed that Tony is ignoring his _true_ greatest creation and how Tony is tearing the Avengers apart with his ego.

“I wanted to say a few things.” She starts, there’s a moment before she realizes that Vision isn’t going anywhere, instead instilling himself conveniently between Natasha and Tony, like a J Crew brick wall. “I’m sorry.”

Tony pauses in his work to glance back up at Natasha. “Sorry? What for?”

“I was not your friend, and I’ve done a lot of terrible things to you. Things you aren’t even aware of…and yet…you were my friend through it all, and I don’t know why but I’m sorry for what I’ve done.” Tony goes to interrupt but she shakes her head. “Nyet. Let me get this out.” She pauses and gives him an almost pleading look. “Please.” Tony takes a second before putting down the tools and giving her his undivided attention, he nods with a ‘continue’ hand gesture. “I knew about the Winter Soldier and your parents, I’ve known for years. Long before Rogers ever figured it out. Never once did it occur to me that I should tell you, it never even crossed my mind.” There’s a tightening in his chest at her matter of fact words. These were his _parents_ for Christ’s sake, why did no one think he deserved to know? “I was chosen to get close to you because we assumed that you would be easily taken in, in your moment of need by a pretty face. That’s what I do, I play people and I get what I want and what my mission tells me to do. I never saw you as anything else other than the mission, and even when that specific mission left I never reassigned you as anything else. You were still an asset to be broken down and controlled. That was the only thing proven to work with you, so we did it.” She doesn’t look away, there’s a small amount of embarrassed shame, but nothing so big as to seem manufactured or as a weakness. Tony feels a little thrown off by this conversation. What is Natasha doing? She’s never done this before, and ouch- that whole thing hurt, but somewhere inside him he always knew that’s what was going on. “I came here to apologize to you, for the damage that I have caused you. For the continued need to maintain you as a broken and collared asset instead of as the friend that you were to me.”

“Where is all this coming from?” Tony can’t help the question slipping out and Natasha looks away for the first time.

“After the videos were released, I felt…I _felt_ _wrong_.” She says it like its some surprising and uncomfortable thing. “I knew that Rogers wouldn’t stop because we have not shown him that there will be consequences to his actions or that there are rules. I realized my mistake in how I’ve allowed the team to function, and in an attempt to regain control over the fracturing Avengers I made the choice to switch. I would no longer try to control or contain Steve, because everything I had done up to that moment had failed, instead I would control you. I thought that I could keep everything as it was, I thought I could continue my mission of keeping the Avengers together and under SHIELD’s control.”

“SHIELD’s gone Nat.” She gives him a sharp smile that tells him all he needs to know. SHIELD is far from gone and even with the Widow Leaks™ they were still out there, getting ready to spring on them with a moment’s notice. Apparently they still wanted their little super powered hit squad.

“When I saw the video, I went to Coulson to get data on your status after the fight.” Tony’s eyes widen and he leans forward.

“Coulson’s alive? But…but Fury said he _died_! Loki killed him!” Natasha shakes her head.

“Fury lies.” It’s said like its gospel truth and Tony figures that it minus well be. “I never…When he gave me the files…I was _angry_.” She shakes her head. “I was angry with Rogers, I was angry with Clint and I was angry with myself. Because how did we ever get so far? That this was not only acceptable, but ignored?” She crosses her arms. “Coulson likes you. He reamed me a new one, but…he helped me realize something.”

“What was that?”

“I want…I want what I pretended we had. I saw him with his new team and I realized that we could have had that…but we messed it up. I messed it up, and I promoted the demonizing of a team mate.” She looks back at Tony. “I decided to do something that I never thought I would do.” He waits for her to continue. “I resigned from SHIELD.”

She says it so calmly, but Tony remembers those times she would talk about what SHIELD was to her over Russian vodka and cards. How they saved her, and gave her a better path. How she would basically go to the grave with them. “…why?”

“You were right. I’ve been playing triple agent for so long that I don’t know what I am outside of it. I don’t know how to be loyal. I don’t know how to be someone’s friend. I…I don’t want to be that anymore. I want to be an Avenger. I want to make that actually _mean_ something. So I got rid of my other entanglements.” She puts her shoulders back. “I know you have no reason to trust me, and that’s on me, but that’s going to change.” She looks like she’s about to undertake some long, dark and dangerous mission- and it’s a little terrifying to know that he’s kind of at the center of such focus.

Tony takes a moment to recap, thinking over what she said (and he’s totally going to put a flaming paper bag full of poop on Fury’s doorstep) “So, just to be clear…you’re saying you’re sorry because your mission with SHIELD damaged what could have been an otherwise okay thing?”

“I’m saying that, and I’m saying sorry specifically to you.”

“I’m not the only one you need to say sorry to.” Natasha nods.

“I thought it best to approach Bruce outside of the Compound…he won’t like what I need to say to him.” She looks at Tony. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness, although I don’t doubt you’d give it to me.”

“You were doing good there for a moment-” She gives him a look at his sarcastic interruption and he wisely shuts up.

“I’m not going to ask, because that’s worthless. I’m going to earn it. I am not like Barnes who did not harm you of his own volition. I willingly participated in your pain, and because of that I will fight to make this right.” She takes a step back. “That’s all I’ve come here to say.” She turns around and goes to the elevator again.

“Hey Nat.” She turns and looks at him. “Thank you.” There’s a small, almost sad smile on her lips for a moment before it’s gone and she nods, pressing the button and allowing the doors to close. Tony glances at Vision who seems to be looking to Tony to determine how he’s responding to the situation that just occurred. “Well…that was unexpected. I’ll say that.”

“Do you believe her guilt and her vow is true?” He asks and Tony does a shrug, looking back down to the wires.

“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?”

-           -           -           -           -

Tony’s adjusting his sleeves, rushing down the stairs when he runs into Steve at the bottom of them. The blonde clearly wants to talk, and after the end of the last conversation they had together Tony isn’t much in the mood to talk to him. He’s still mildly reeling from Natasha’s supposed turn from the dark side, he’s not really sure if it’s genuine or if she’s just playing a new angle and is every part just as good as she’s been portrayed. The first manner of business will be to find Agent, and figure out where that whole thread leads him to. He’s got no time for that right now though.

“Sorry Rogers, I’m running a little behind.”

“I’ll walk with you.” Tony wants to tell him that he can go walk off a cliff, but it sounds childish even in his own head so he just allows Rogers to fall in step alongside him. “Have you found out what’s wrong with FRIDAY yet?”

“There’s nothing _wrong_ with FRIDAY, she’s fine. But I haven’t found the short that keeps messing up her systems inside the Compound, no.” Steve looks a little chastened by the correction.

“I was wondering…I feel like we’ve got this dam between us, leftover from the Accords. We haven’t really had a moment outside of them since I’ve returned.”

The weather outside is a dreary gray, and Tony grabs his jacket on the way out, shrugging it on as they step outside. “They’re pretty big right now, and I’ve got a lot of things on my plate concerning them so that makes sense.”

“I know. And I know you’re busy, but I was thinking…when you get back maybe we could try and have a moment where we don’t fight?” He does that sheepish boyish thing that he does, that slight quirk of a smile that never ceased to make him look more like an adorable puppy than a full grown man. They stop alongside the car and Tony turns to look at Steve, opening his mouth to tell him ‘no’ when Steve interrupted him with, “I managed to get Wanda to help me cue up Titanic.” The words cause Tony to pause a little as he remembers the time he brought up the movie to Steve.

_Tony walks into Steve’s art room, where Steve’s sketching into his sketch pad. He struts calmly over to the couch nearby before dropping the robe and throwing himself onto it in a mirrored image of Rose in Titanic. Steve’s eyes go wide, his whole face turning red before hiding behind his pad. “Tony what are you doing?”_

_“Sketch me like one of your French girls.” Tony purred and Steve continued to hide._

_“What? What French girls? I haven’t sketched anyone, put some clothes on!” Tony bites back a laugh._

_“Movie quote genius. And hey, I’m no Kate Winslet, but the Hope Diamond wishes it was as cool as the Arc Reactor.”_

_“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but put some clothes on before someone comes in and sees you.”_

_“A little movie called Titanic. It was about some boring ship, no one really saw it. Very art house like film. You’d love it.”_

_“Tony.” Tony rolls his eyes at his ‘hush-hush boyfriend’ and grabs his robe._

_“Your loss.”_

“You remembered Titanic?” He questions, his mind rolling over the memory. Steve does a little shrug.

“I remember a lot of things.” He says and it makes Tony pause for a brief moment. “I wrote it down, you seemed to like it and I thought you might like to watch it with me.”

“I…” He’s not really sure what to say, one half of him says to tell Rogers that he can buy the movie just so he can get a disk to shove where the sun don’t shine. The other half of him says that maybe this is the start to learning to be friends again. After all, it’s just a movie.

Steve reaches out and opens the driver’s side door for him. “I mean I still haven't seen it, and I remember that you wanted to watch it with me. I'd like that too. If you’re busy tonight we can do it on another night. I’m free whenever.” Tony shakes his head slowly.

“Um…no, I’ve got a little time tonight. I’ve got to meet with Charles and Doctor Grey but I’ll have some time when I get back.” Steve gives him an almost radiant smile.

“Sounds great, I’ll see you there.” Tony nods, still feeling a little off base as he slides into the car and Steve closes the door for him before waving and going back inside.

“Um…FRI, I guess pencil Rogers in tonight. Dinner time.” There’s the pause of action as Tony starts the car and pulls off, heading towards Xavier’s school.

 _‘Done Boss.’_ There’s a tone to FRIDAY’s voice.

“Something wrong FRI?”

_‘Just questioning the rationality behind your decision.’_

Tony pauses and rubs a hand over his face. “Me too FRI…me too.” Neither of them say anything to each other the rest of the way, leaving Tony to contemplate his questionable life choices.

The giant steel gates with an X on them makes Tony think a silly joke about how X literally marks the spot in this case as he pulls down the lane. He’s about to pull up to the front when a loud and obnoxious rumble catches his attention moments before he’s almost run off the road by a lunatic in a leather jacket on a motor cycle. The jackass actually has the nerve to flip him off as he goes by and Tony contemplates vehicular manslaughter for a brief moment. Luckily, he gets his racing heart, and boiling blood, under control to navigate the car to the front doors so he can park. The man is there, just sitting on the motorcycle and lighting a cigar.

Tony can’t really think of anything more this man could do to be _more_ of a douche than he is right now.

“Nice driving there. Your grasp of the basics of navigating roadways is astounding.” Tony states sarcastically as the man turns his head to look at him.

“You got a problem with my driving bub?”

“You call _that_ driving?” Is Tony’s comeback and the man swings his leg over the idling bike to stand up and get in Tony’s face. Tony’s not going to deny being a slight bit intimidated by the hobo goliath, but he’s also not going to back down either.

“Logan if you would please refrain from physically assaulting my guests that would be most appreciated.” Charles’s voice cuts through the tension between the two men having a stare down and ‘Logan’ lets out a huff and turns back to the bike.

“Whatever you say Chuck.” Tony walks up to where Charles is waiting and Charles gives him a kind smile.

“I’m pleased to see you could make it so soon. I do hope everything is going well?” He pauses and seems to think about his sentence. “Or at the very least has not gotten worse?” Tony returns the smile and shrugs.

“Not as far as I can tell, so that’s something.” Jean walks up alongside Charles, giving Tony a perfect smile while holding out her hand to greet him.

“Good afternoon Mr. Stark.” She says and Tony catches Logan looking at the stunning doctor and he gets a playful smile in return, taking her hand and kissing the back. Turning up the charm.

“Good afternoon Doctor Grey. Radiant as ever.” Jean’s smile turns a little more amused, like she knows exactly who Tony is playing this up for (and it’s quite possible that she _does_ ).

“Thank you very much.” Tony can hear Logan mutter something behind him, and although he can’t catch what’s said he can guess that it’s not Tony friendly.

“Let us go inside?” Charles asks as he starts to navigate the wheelchair around. “And Logan, if there is damage to Mr. Stark’s car I will be very cross.” Tony freezes a little when he hears that and spins around to glance at the other man.

“Basic rules Mullet Rock, never touch another man’s car.” He makes eye contact with the potentially rabid man. “Anything happens to her and you’ll regret it.” Logan looks unthreatened while Tony gives him a pantomime for ‘I’ve got my eye on you.’ It makes Logan roll his eyes, but Tony can convince himself that he saw a little bit of fear in the other man as he follows after the other two.

Tony waits till they’re inside Charles’s office before he pulls out the USB drive from his pocket. “Thank you again for agreeing to help out. Wanda’s looking forward to working with you.” _I hope_ he adds silently and Jean takes the file from him. “That isn’t a complete file, but it’ll get you working with the basics. Anything more in-depth or personal and you’re going to have to ask Wanda herself for the information.” Jean nods and slides the USB into her pocket.

“No that’s perfectly fine, and thank you for making the trip down here to bring it. All I wanted was the information on the work she’s already done with her powers and any information you might already have on them. It just gives me a starting place prior to making any curriculum choices.”

Tony nods in agreement, and takes a seat. Truth be told he wasn’t too fond of the thought of releasing that information to anyone, but he figured that Nick’s file on Wanda was already public knowledge inside the still existing SHIELD and none of it is anything that could harm the young magic user. He took out anything he deemed unimportant to training needs and made sure to put the information on a private drive with more security than some of his Stark Industry top secret plans have. And he almost wants to shake his head at the thought that he’d just send the file online or have a carrier bring it. Way too many chances for interception. “Well, we can discuss a few changes in the program if you have a few minutes?” Charles nodded as Jean took a seat. “So, we just got back the first round of responses on the initial concerns for the new draft.” He taps his watch and lets FRIDAY project a small image into the air of his computer screen. He touches the file that has the emailed responses and flicks it from his watch towards Charles’s computer. He hears a slight beep as the file downloads itself onto the desktop and Charles clicks it open. “One of the major concerns were the training programs, especially since we wanted to keep the military out of it. They’re on the border about what you can do here, and I’m being asked if it would be possible to allow for several tours of your facilities and interviews with the teachers that you would be sending out to the new facilities being promoted overseas.”

“A tour of certain individuals would be possible. I won’t have any foreign generals or military crossing my threshold.”

“I’ll pass that along.” Tony types a few things onto the small screen. “Nice and simple. As for our friend Reyes,” He pulls up the information. “She’s running into a few problems of her own down in Hell’s Kitchen which is good for us, but I’m starting to become concerned about the amount of noise down there. Do you know anything about this ‘devil’ or the ‘punisher’?” Tony almost wants to roll his eyes at these ridiculous names but he refrains…barely.

“Not much unfortunately.” Tony sighs inwardly.

“Alright, I’ll give it a quick look over then. See if our help would be necessary or appreciated.”

“If you’d like I could send Logan or Scott down there.” Tony snorts.

“Scott maybe, but Lost Boys down there? Nah.” He quickly types in the new assignment and glances up at Charles. “Besides, it might be best if I go. Face of the Accords and all that. It might work in our benefit.” Charles takes a second before he nods.

“Agreed. If you need assistance though, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are partners in this now.” Tony smiled.

“I know, I’d just rather keep the school as out of the public view for as long as possible if you know what I mean?” Charles gives him that fatherly smile again (that thing could be weaponized, no wonder Charles was able to contain an entire mansion full of super powered kids.) and agrees. There’s a moment where Charles is giving him a strange look and Tony tilts his head. “Everything alright?”

“I was just about to ask you the same thing, you’re very…quiet today.” Tony can’t help the confused look that must cross his face.

“Um…sorry? I’m a little tired I guess.” Charles gives a small nod, but Tony doesn’t miss the look he shares with Jean out of the corner of his eye. He thinks about asking them what the hell they’re talking about, but he figures that he’ll let them be mysterious for now.

-           -           -           -           -

When Tony reenters the Compound he’s greeted by a welcome sight. He smiles at the other man stepping forward. “Hey kitty cat. I didn’t know you were stopping by today.” T’Challa gives him one of those ‘I’m trying to look like I disagree with the various cat nicknames you give me, but I secretly like them’ look.

“Yes, I had some sudden business in New York and I remembered that you offered up residence whenever I was in town.” Tony nods.

“Yeah, did FRIDAY show you your wing?” T’Challa nods.

“The Dora were very pleased with the set up, and they thank you.” Tony gives him an embarrassed little shrug.

“I may have asked Miss Monroe for some decorating and layout advice. So if they want to thank anyone, they’d have to thank her.”

“Regardless, there are thanks to be had.” Tony starts to shrug off the jacket when T’Challa comes up behind him and helps slip it from his shoulders. Tony gives him a smile.

“Thank you.” He takes the jacket back and hangs it up. “So what’s bringing you States side?”

“I am being asked to give testimony on your General Ross and my experiences with him during the pre-Accords situation.” Tony nods, walking with T’Challa down the hall towards his room.

“Makes sense. Thank you then. I know you didn’t have to come, but that helps get that psycho put away faster and I can stop worrying that he’s secretly going to unleash another ‘Abomination’ on us.” T’Challa’s face shows confusion and Tony shrugs. “You’d have to ask Bruce, he’d be able to tell the story better. Apparently when Ross couldn’t get Hulk, he tried to make his own…and let’s just say that it didn’t go down well.” T’Challa’s face does a little frowning thing.

“I would suppose not.” Tony opens the door to his room and steps in, already unbuttoning the outer suit jacket. He goes to say something to T’Challa before he turns around and realizes that the royal isn’t there, he’s still standing in the doorway.

“Um? Everything alright?” T’Challa nods, patient as ever.

“Of course, it is just impolite to enter private quarters without permission.”

“Are you guys secretly vampires too? Cuz I’m not going to lie, that’d be sexy as hell.” Tony chuckles to himself a little. “Yes, you can come in Count Chocula.” T’Challa tilts his head a little at the title but steps inside. He looks around the room, seeing it for the first time. There’s something like confusion on his face. “What?”

“These are your personal quarters?” Tony glances around, shrugging off the jacket.

“Yeah? Why?”

“No reason.” Tony gives him a look that says he’s clearly not buying that bullshit. “I just expected a little more…character I suppose.”

“Oh, well I mean I really only ever come up here to change, and sometimes sleep. Most of the time I’m down in my labs so I’ve never really done anything past the initial interior decorating scheme.” There’s clearly something on T’Challa’s mind, but the other doesn’t say it. Tony walks over to the closet and grabs a new shirt, something a little more comfortable than what he’s wearing now. “How long are you in town?”

“They’re proposing a week at this point.”

“I’ll have to show you the town then.” T’Challa gets a little smirk.

“A ‘Tony Stark Approved’ tour of New York? I’m not sure New York would survive.” Tony pauses as the memory of twiggy little T’Challa flashes in his mind and he laughs.

“Yeah, I think you might be right. I’m thinking something a little more muted. Maybe do the tourist version of the Big Apple.”

“I’ll see if there are any shows to be seen. Perhaps we might manage dinner prior to it.” Tony nods, tugging on the new shirt and sending a quick glance over his shoulder.

“I know this great little restaurant. Very discrete, very quiet. Do you like Chinese food?” T’Challa nods once. “Then you’ll love this place. Although I’ve got to warn you, my girlfriend likes to sit in and will probably regale us with some embarrassing stories.” There’s a pause that seems to go through the king.

“You’re dating a restaurant owner?” Tony looks at him confused, before the question fully hits him and he’s laughing.

“No, she’s not _actually_ my girlfriend. She’s known me since I was twenty. I always pretend that I’m secretly pining away for her. It’s a thing we do, but she’s more like an adopted aunt.” There’s a small smile that returns to T’Challa’s face as he nods.

“I see. Then I’d very much like to go there.” Tony grins.

“Sounds perfect, it’s a date.” He tosses the old shirt and jacket into the laundry and gives T’Challa a smile. “Well, I mean when you actually _send_ me the date. Now, sorry to ditch so soon, but I’ve got a movie to watch and a house to rewire.”

“Of course. I’ll have my people call your people.” There’s an undercurrent of amusement in T’Challa’s statement and Tony can’t help the laugh he does as the two of them separate.

Tony heads off to go find Steve, following FRIDAY’s instructions of where he is, and when he opens the door he can’t help but come to a complete stop. Steve’s there, and he’s got dinner set out on nice plates, and there’s an entire feel to the room that Tony can’t fully ignore. It’s how Tony would set up the area for one of their ‘top secret’ dates when they would stay in and watch a classic that Steve hadn’t yet experienced. “What’s this?” Inwardly, Tony’s hitting himself. He knows what this is, this is obvious what this is.

“I thought we were watching a movie.” Is Steve’s slightly confused, completely innocent sounding reply.

“And that’s it right? We’re just two guys, who are friends, just watching a movie right?” Steve gets a little twist to his smile and Tony knows that’s not it. “Because I’m still serious about what I said. We’re not together Steve, this…what I think this is? This isn’t going to happen.”

“I just wanted to do something nice for you, and let it be like old times.” Tony comes into the room and closes the door behind him, running a hand through his hair as he turns back around to face Steve.

“Okay, I fucked this up.” Steve looks at him confused. “No, it’s okay. You can say it. I think…no, actually replaying this morning I can clearly say that I may have ignored the obvious signs you were throwing out. Despite what people think, sometimes I’m really crap at noticing the obvious. I should have said something then, but that’s on me.”

“It’s just dinner and a movie Tony.”

“Is it? Because last time I checked, in the ‘old times’ you’re speaking of, it wasn’t _just_ dinner and a movie. And I know that you didn’t set all this up innocently.” Steve gets that embarrassed look again.

“I had hoped that we might start over? Try again?”

“Damn it Steve.” Tony sighs as the blonde comes closer. “If you want to start over, then I’m all about that. I want to start over too.” There’s a look of hope in Steve’s eyes and Tony feels like crap for destroying it a second later. “But starting over isn’t this.” He motions to the living room setup. “Starting over is basically where we go back to barely being friends and try not to make every encounter a hostile blowup.”

“Why can’t we start here?”

“Because, number one: that’s not how this works. Number two: with all the crap that has gone down between us? I almost feel like we need to go so far back to the beginning that I introduce myself to you again because we pretend like we’ve never seen each other’s faces.” Steve reaches out for Tony, and Tony turns his head a little to the side in a silent demand for Steve not to touch him. Steve seems to understand it because his hand freezes in the air, and before the situation can get any more awkward than it already is, the door slams open.

Tony and Steve both jump slightly, turning to see Wanda come storming into the room. Red is twirling around her and her eyes land on Tony. “FRIDAY- get Vision now!” Tony says as he takes a quick step back. He has no idea what on earth has set Wanda off, he’d been good since their last ‘almost kill Tony’ moment.

Steve steps in front of him, and Tony’s really missing the armor right about now. “Wanda? What’s wrong?” Steve asks and Wanda levels deranged looking eyes on the blonde.

“Move Steve.” Steve shakes his head and goes to take a step towards her when she throws her arm and Steve goes sailing across the room, slamming into the entertainment system and smashing it.

“STEVE!” Is torn out of Tony’s throat as he watches the blonde struggle to get up seconds later. He turns back to the murderous witch.

“It _was_ you. I almost believed…” Her voice is so low, it sounds like it’s scratching its way past her vocal chords.

“Wanda, I have no idea what you’re talking about, but you need to calm down.”

“I almost believed you…You LIAR!” The force of the push knocks the air out of Tony’s lungs long before he crashes into the wall behind him. He hits the floor hard and he feels the shifting of the newly cracked ribs, winded and black spots dancing in his vision.

“Wanda…I don’t-” There’s a force at his throat, constricting as he’s ripped back up to his feet and slammed back into the wall. He reaches up to struggle with the red tendrils holding him, but he can’t grab them with his fingers and he can’t _breathe_.

“You’ve run out of time Stark. Never again…” She takes a step forward towards him. “You will _suffer_ …you will _know_ pain.” Tony tries to get away, but he’s pressed down by the red magic as she lifts her hands on either side of his head. He knows that whatever is coming next is going to be worse than just getting thrown about the room. There’s a second before her magic touches him that he feels the warm tingling sensation of Extremis’s healing activation. He doesn’t have much time to consider it as the red magic hits his mind.

He’s expecting pain. He’s expecting hell.

What he wasn’t expecting was a strange data stream of ones and zeros crossing in front of his eyes.

 

**\- Mental Intrusion Detected -**

**\- Firewall Breach Detected -**

**\- Emergency System Shut Down –**

 

And everything goes black.


	14. Chapter 14

He’s down in the lab when the alarms go off.

Bruce is busy poking at the new exoskeleton that Tony’s designed when the entire medical lab goes up in blaring horns and flashing red lights. He’s already moving towards the armor as he calls over his shoulder to Banner.

“Stay here with Cho. Keep everyone inside.” Banner doesn’t argue with him as he stands at the ready, the suit closing over him and latching onto the new braces. It’s still tight, still uncomfortable, but that’s the last thought on his mind as he takes off out the opening exit hatch.

There’s nothing but sheer chaos as he comes around the building to see who has attacked them or what has made FRIDAY sound the alarm. For a brief moment, he’s looking for an outside force that’s laying siege to the Avengers Compound. A couple seconds later he realizes he should have known better.

There’s a giant hole in the outer wall, and the Vision is laying waste to Maximoff. There are bright flashes of golden light and there’s tremors going through the area as each of Vision’s blasts hit the outer shell of the Witch’s protection bubble. “Vision!” Rhodey calls, barely breaking the other’s concentration as he powers up another blast and sends it at the girl.

“Help Mr. Stark.” Is all Vision says to him and immediately the blood in Rhodey’s veins freezes. He’s taken off towards the hole in the wall before he’s even fully conscious of making the decision to go.

The other Avengers are just making it to the room, climbing over debris and navigating the chaos. Barnes is already tearing the rubble off of Rogers and is joined quickly by Wilson and Romanoff. “Scan” The suit leaps into action at the command as it takes in heat signatures all around the room. It only takes a second to find him. “Tony!” He can’t see his friend in the normal vision at first, his body is almost completely covered by drywall and other various things but when he starts digging him out he’s a little surprised to have T’Challa appear in his peripheral helping him alongside his personal guard. They dig Tony out in record time and for a moment, it’s hard to breathe.

Tony’s unmoving, still in a way that he never is and on first glance there’s no immediate signs of life. “FRIDAY!”

 _‘I am unable to ascertain his condition at this time.’_ T’Challa reaches forward, gently placing two fingers along Tony’s throat alongside the horrible red welts that are appearing against the pale skin of his neck, and placing his other hand close to his face. There’s a second where everything hangs in the balance- before T’Challa lets out a small exhale.

“He’s got a pulse and he’s breathing. It’s shallow, we need to get him immediate medical attention.” Rhodey nods, snapped out of his building terror as he pulls a sturdy board out of the damaged area and gets help from the Dora with shifting Tony gently onto it. “Help Vision Colonel, we’ve got him.” For a brief moment, Rhodey wants to argue. He wants to tell the king where he can shove it, because Rhodey isn’t leaving Tony’s side _ever_ again. The moment passes however, when Rhodey realizes that he needs to contain the scene. With Tony down, leadership of the Avengers falls to him now, and as much as he wants to stay glued to the brunet’s side- he can’t.

“You don’t leave his side.” Is Rhodey’s command and T’Challa nods once as he moves with the Dora to shuttle Tony downstairs to safety. He looks over at where Wilson and Barnes are dragging a semi-out of it Rogers towards the exit as well. Natasha comes up alongside him as a quick glance outside shows the Vision hitting the shield and gold starts cracking through the protective casing.

Rhodes can see that the girl is yelling something to the other, and he can also see the moment that it all goes badly. When the neutral look on the Android morphs into something akin to _rage_ and the other sends a final blast that shatters the bubble surrounding the girl and she goes skidding across the lawn. There’s a clear threat when the Vision lowers himself to the ground, walking slowly over to where the Witch is inching back from him before he kneels down and reaches out, his hand touching her forehead and something like a shockwave that seems to emit from his body into hers- and then she goes still and flops back onto the grass gracelessly.

Rhodey wraps an arm around Natasha’s waist and lowers them both to land on the grass close to the two of them. He releases his hold on Natasha and moves forward. “Vision?” The other looks at him, and that look hasn’t left his eyes. “I need you to take a step back.” Natasha moves forward and checks Wanda’s vitals. There’s a moment before the Android listens to the command and slowly stands, removing himself from the Witch’s immediate area. “What happened?”

“Is Mr. Stark alright?”

“He’s down with Cho and Banner.” Is all the answer Rhodey can give and Vision seems to struggle to contain the emotions that seem to be running rampant inside of him. “Now, what happened?”

“Miss Maximoff attacked Mr. Stark and then blew the room. She then attempted to attack Mr. Stark again and tried to force her way through me as she had done previously.” He motions to the hole in the outer wall and Rhodey nods once.

“Alright, Vision I need you to come with me. We need to debrief and write up the incident report.”

“I wish to see Mr. Stark.”

Rhodey shakes his head. “I know, but there are things we have to do first. The report is mandatory, and right now we’d only be in the doctor’s way.” It takes a moment before the Vision nods once.

“Of course. I will fill out the report.” Rhodes nods and turns to Natasha.

“I’m going to take Maximoff down to the cells. I need you to have Cho send someone down there to meet me.” She tilts her head in assent and leaves to go do what was asked of her as the Vision stays beside him.

“I’ll accompany you down to the cells. Just to be secure.” Rhodey almost wants to correct him, and say it’s ‘just to be safe’ but he figures that the Android said exactly what he meant and Rhodey leans down to pick up the unconscious girl before taking off towards the cells.

He has two thoughts cross his mind.

Tony had better be okay or else, and this is going to be a nightmare.

-           -           -           -           -

T’Challa and Sam stand the moment they see Rhodey come into the area.

“How is he?” Rhodey asks and T’Challa shakes his head.

“They have not released any information to us at this time.” Rhodey glances at the door that his friend is behind. His heart goes out to Tony but he pulls back slightly. Now still isn’t the time to be losing all composure, there are still things that he needs to do. Things that _Tony_ needs him to do.

“Alright. FRIDAY?” He waits a second before continuing with his requests. “I need you to call Pepper and Happy. Let them know what’s happened.”

_‘Consider it done.’_

“I also need you to call the Accords Office. We need an Investigator and someone from the Legal department.” Satisfied that FRIDAY is taking care of it, he looks at the other two. “Alright, do we have any word on Roger’s condition?”

“Bucky’s in there with him. They say that he’s got a severe concussion, but with the super healing he should be on his feet within the hour.” Sam answers and Rhodey nods.

“We need to be as on top of this as we can be. This will be the first time the current draft of the Accords is being seen in motion.”

“Can they enforce the Accords at this time?” Sam asks and T’Challa answers.

“The Accords have remained enforceable since the day it was signed into law by the UN. While we are renegotiating, at this time we still fall under the jurisdiction of the current Avengers Accords. Everyone signed agreeing to abide temporarily by the Avengers Accords so that they could have a say and a vote on what would stay and what would go and then they would sign the finish draft fully. So as of right now, the Accords are in full effect.”

“So I guess we’re about to see if all our hard work has paid off.” Sam says with a heavy finality to his voice and the weight of the statement settles on all of them.

 

-           -           -           -           -

“Let me out of here.” Wanda practically snarls as she hits the glass with her hand. There’s no worry of her powers getting her out of the containment cell, and Rhodey crosses his arms. There are two other people in the area, Georgia from the Accords office and Mike from legal. Mike looks a little tired from being dragged out so late- or maybe it’s from his thirty minute private session with his client prior to Rhodey and Georgia entering the area. Georgia pulls out a chair and rests it in front of the cell, but she doesn’t take a seat right away.

“Miss Maximoff, my name is Georgia Lewis, I am here to tell you what is going to happen and what you can expect in these next few stages. Do be aware that you may decline comment at any time.” Wanda looks over the two of them, unimpressed.

“I don’t care who you are, I said let me out. You cannot keep me here.”

Rhodey can’t help his eye roll as Georgia seems un-phased by Wanda’s declaration. “Now, I do want to let you know that you are being recorded.” She points with her pen towards the small camera. “This is for your safety and our records.”

“You are no better than Zemo. Locking me up here and putting me on display.”

“I understand if you are displeased with this protocol, yet I am still required to inform you. Shall we begin?” Wanda crosses her arms with a petulant look.

“Why is he here? Where are the Avengers? Where is Steve?”

“Colonel Rhodes is Acting Leader right now and does have authorization to be present, I can however ask him to stand outside if you’d like.” Michael offers and Wanda doesn’t say anything but she motions for them to continue. Georgia nods once pulls out her files from her bag and rests them on her lap. “Now, Miss Maximoff. Do you wish to tell me in your own words what transpired earlier tonight?”

“Let me out and I will talk.”

“Unfortunately I cannot do that.”

“I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Georgia nods. “Can you elaborate on that?”

“Stark deserved it.” Georgia writes down a note.

“Can you clarify?”

Michael jumps in for a second, catching Wanda’s attention. “Remember, you aren’t required to answer any questions.”

Wanda opts to ignore him. “He’s a monster and he killed my family. Why is he free to attack all of us, but I’m locked away.”

“So you admit to assaulting Tony Stark at this time, and you claim that Mr. Stark killed your family?”

Wanda’s face darkens a little as she clenches her fists. “He bombed Sokovia and then unleashed Ultron upon it. He is a _monster_.”

“Mr. Stark has already been cleared of the Ultron incident, and I am unaware of him dropping bombs on Sokovia prior to that?”

“He said he had nothing to do with my parent’s death, but death is all he knows. He dropped a bomb on my family for _profit_ and I am expected to do nothing about it? He lied to me and I found out the truth. He should have known better.” There’s movement out of the corner of his eye and Rhodey sees Natasha for a brief second.

“Excuse me.” He whispers as he ducks out into the hallway. Natasha inclines her head towards the room.

“How’s it looking in there?”

“Wanda’s refusing to listen to her legal counsel and is preaching the gospel of Tony Hate.” He looks at Natasha expectantly.

“You asked to be informed of any changes? Steve’s up and about. Also, since you’re Tony’s medical power of attorney Helen needs your approval to call in either Xavier or Grey.” Rhodey nods and starts towards the medical area.

”FRIDAY, please call the school and get one of them out here immediately. Tell them it’s an emergency.”

_‘Right away’_

“Have you called Potts yet?” Natasha asks seconds later.

“Yeah, she’ll be here within the hour.” He rubs a hand over his face, it’s going to be a very long night. “Have you managed to get in contact with Sharon yet FRI?”

_‘I have managed to make contact and appraise the situation with Miss Carter. She is on her way now as we speak. Mr. Hogan will be picking her up from the airport when she gets in.’_

There’s a few moments of blessed silence, before they hear some kind of commotion at their destination.

“- right to know.” Steve’s voice carries over the distance and Natasha shares a look with Rhodey before they both turn the corner to see what is happening. The answer is that Steve is clearly up and about, but not just that. He apparently has been trying to force his way into Tony’s room and the Dora and T’Challa are having none of that. Sam and Bucky are standing off to the side, with looks that range somewhere from frustrated embarrassment to outright irritation.

“What’s going on here?” Rhodey asks even though the answer is obvious. Steve turns to look at him.

“I’m trying to check in on Tony but his majesty is…” He cuts off for a second as all the eyes in the hallway give him an ‘I’d think twice about what you’re about to say’ look. It seems to work some kind of magic on Steve because he changes his mind and says instead, “He is being firm in his stance that I’m not permitted to enter.” Rhodey wants to give him a look like he’s crazy, and he must kind of let some kind of look slip because Wilson hides a smile behind his hand for a second.

“No one is allowed in the room Rogers but family.” Steve shakes his head.

“The Avengers _are_ Tony’s family.” Rhodey can’t help the sarcastic and cruel laugh that comes out of his mouth.

This is becoming too much. There is far too much that has happened in order for Steve to still be toting around that downright _horrible_ phrase that he wrote in that bullshit letter to Tony before.

“Oh, the Avengers are Tony’s family? Which Avengers Steve? Your Avengers? I’m curious what Avengers you keep throwing around. Do you mean your pet witch who put Tony in there? Do you mean your buddy Clint who assaulted him in his own home? But then again I guess he thought it was fine after you all let Thor do it. So let me ask again- what family does he have that you think that you’re a part of?”

“I care about Tony.” Is Steve’s reply and Rhodey gives him a withering look.

“Well we’ll just have to agree to disagree about _that_.” Rhodey shook his head. “No one gets in except those already on the list. And there is no good reason for anyone else to be in the way of the doctors who are trying to save my best friends life.”

Steve gets a challenging look in his eyes before his shoulders square back. Before he says anything that has Rhodey decking him, Helen opens the door and motions for Rhodey to come forward. Steve goes to shift with him and Bucky puts a hand on his arm, halting his course and Rhodey almost wants to throw him a thankful look as the door closes behind them.

It’s like déjà vu.

Tony is pale against the white linens as wires and tubes are connected to various areas of his body. An oxygen mask is over his face and Rhodey has to take a deep breath to maintain his calm. “What do we know?” He asks after he gets his feet under him.

“We have no way of knowing what Maximoff did when she assaulted Stark. The EEG tests though…are concerning.”

“Why?”

“…There’s no measurable activity.” For a second, Rhodey feels like the air has just gotten punched out of his lungs.

“He’s brain dead?” The words are hard to say aloud, but he needs to. Helen pauses before pushing some of her hair out of her face.

“We don’t know. That’s why I’d like for Xavier or Grey to come as quickly as possible.” She holds out an electronic file for him to sign and he glances over it for a second before adding his signature.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“There’s no activity, but we can’t be sure what’s really happening in there. Every time we hook up anything to scan the brain or monitor it? The system glitches and shuts down. We have no information at this time. I can say that he’s as stabilized as we can get him without actually knowing what’s going on inside of him.”

“Your systems are glitching? We can get new equipment brought here from one of the other rooms…” She shakes her head.

“We’ve already run through various machines trying to get a read on Stark’s condition. External monitoring seem to work fine, but anything that tries to be a little more invasive is immediately shut down.” She shakes her head. “Without knowing what she did, another telepath is our best option.” Rhodey nods.

“FRIDAY, has already sent out the call.”

 _‘Correct, and the Professor has agreed to come himself at once. He is on route to the Compound.’_ Cho nods and returns to Tony’s side to continue helping her patient effectively banishing Rhodey from the room again.

The hallway is silent when he comes back out. All eyes are on him as he closes the door behind him. He considers for a moment being petty and not telling these people anything, but he’s not that cruel.

“For the most part they’ve got him stabilized.” For a moment he doesn’t realize his own voice. It’s soft and scared sounding.

“For the most part?” T’Challa asks gently and Rhodey sighs.

“Without knowing what Wanda did, they can’t give an accurate diagnosis of his condition. They’ve called in specialized help though…”

“Then we’ll ask Wanda.” Rhodey gives Steve a tired glance. He can’t even muster a ‘you must be a complete moron’ look.

“Wanda’s not speaking. She’s just going off on how much Tony ‘deserved’ what she did to him.” Steve shakes his head.

“She’ll speak to me.” Rhodey thinks about it for a moment before nodding once, he’s desperate after all.

“Alright, why not? We’ll give it a try. Sam, go check in on Vision please and Natasha, you’re with us.” The two nod and Sam goes off to where Vision is waiting while Natasha falls into step beside them.

Despite the spy’s easy assent, Rhodey can’t help but still be a little suspicious of Natasha. Tony told him about the red heads grand speech earlier, and regardless of Tony’s insistence that he felt that she truly apologized and has supposedly ‘seen the light’ of her bull-headed and downright cruel actions – Rhodey is less sure. However, Tony asked for Rhodey to give her a second chance and that’s what he’s doing here, or at least he hopes he is because right now he could really use her on his side.

Wanda immediately shifts off the small bed when she sees them come in and rushes over to the window separating them. She looks relieved and happy to see Steve and Rhodey figured that Steve would have a similar reaction or go off on some tirade about how they were ‘interning’ her.

Steve is beyond lucky that Rhodey hadn’t been in the room when he said _that_ to Tony before.

However, instead of doing either of the things Rhodey expects – Steve’s face seems cold, and he crosses his arms in a clear sign of disapproval. It’s not focused at Wanda’s imprisonment though, it seems like it’s focused on Wanda _herself_. Wanda seems to notice the difference as well.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay Steve…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you in any way. You have to know that.”

Steve’s look doesn’t soften. “We need to know what you did to Tony.” She frowns slightly and tries to change the subject back to what it was before.

“You weren’t hurt were you? I only meant to move you out of the way but…I was so angry and my powers just had…a little more kick to them then I meant for them to have.”

“Tony, Wanda. What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything, and if I had he would have deserved it.”

Steve shakes his head. “He’s in medical right now Wanda. That’s not doing nothing. We need to know what you did so that the doctors can help him.”

A dark look overtakes her face and she shoves away from the glass with an angry cry. “Why would they help him?” She snaps, turning back around to face them. “Why would you _want_ them to?”

“Tony is our friend Wanda and he’s one of us.”

“He is _not_ my friend.”

“He’s been nothing but friendly to you.” Is Steve’s quick reply and Rhodey isn’t sure where this is coming from. Steve has always been against Tony, and everything Tony ever did was never enough for him.

“He does that out of guilt. That is not being a friend, that is being a liar.”

“And what guilt do you think he has?” Rhodey asks and she gives him a look like he’s dirt under her boots.

“He killed my family.”

“No he didn’t.” It’s Natasha that speaks and all the attention in the room goes to her. “With what I gave you, you should know that.”

“I read through it, and it told me the truth.” Rhodey and Steve share a look where they’re both clearly in the dark about whatever the two women are talking about.

“How could you have read through it and come to the conclusion that Tony had anything to do with Sokovia?”

“Natasha? What are you talking about? Read through what?” Steve asks and Natasha takes a moment before filling them in.

“I was trying to help. I thought if Wanda found out what truly happened all that time ago that she would be able to move on. That she’d be able to heal.” She looks at the two of them. “When Tony asked me for the SHIELD file on the Iron Monger I thought that it might be helpful for Wanda to get the information that preceded that. Tony agreed with me when I brought it up to him, he thought that she had a right to know about all of that because it directly related to a trauma that involved her and who killed her parents. He said that he was being slightly hypocritical with how angry he got over you and me keeping the information on the Winter Soldier from him, and then turning around and not giving Wanda the file that gave her those answers.”

“The Iron Monger, Tony’s mentioned that before. Something to do with a highway and another suit?” Steve asks and she nods.

“Yes.” Rhodey’s a little impressed that she doesn’t give up any other information. “The file explained who actually orchestrated the sale of the bombs sold to the Sokovia forces and why.” She looks back at Wanda. “So I’m curious how you think anything in there directly states that Tony killed your parents, because I’ve seen the file myself and I’m confused.”

Wanda’s lip curls back a little. “Stane was just Stark’s puppet.”

“Stane?” Steve echoes and Rhodey shakes his head.

“You’re delusional and you’ve got that backwards. Tony was _Obadiah’s_ puppet.”

Wanda is clearly not moved by the response. “Stane was Stark’s right hand man. Stane might have taken the fall but he did not act without Stark’s approval.”

“So you didn’t read the file.” Is what Natasha says that cuts off anything Rhodey might have let out, and it’s a good thing too because Rhodey’s starting to see _red_. Wanda attacked Tony because of Obadiah? Like that asshole hasn’t already tried to kill Tony enough times already? Now he has acolytes from beyond the grave?

“I read enough.”

“You clearly didn’t. If you had you would have learned that Obadiah Stane acted in private and separately from Tony Stark. You would have learned that he sold weapons under the table for profit and for pleasure, often going up against Tony who refused to allow some of his crueler ideas to go into production. You would have _also_ learned that Obadiah is the leading reason that Tony Stark became Iron Man and shut down the weapons manufacturing of Stark Industries.” She shakes her head. “Tony Stark had nothing to do with Sokovia. He did not have any kind of hand in your personal tragedy.” She looks Wanda dead in the eye. “You have possibly just killed an innocent man who has done nothing but try to take care of you and help you.” Natasha says the final sentence with such heaviness and emotion that it makes Wanda’s snarling face drop and for the first time the other woman looks unsure.

“You’re wrong.” She answers after a few moments. “Stark is a monster.”

Natasha shakes her head. “I know monsters little girl.” She catches Wanda’s gaze again. “And I’m looking right at one.” Steve reaches out at that moment and places a hand on Natasha’s shoulder.

“Please wait outside?” He asks and Natasha pauses, before turning and leaving the area. Steve turns back to Wanda. “Look. I don’t care what you think your reasons were, or how justified you felt in acting them out. You attacked your team mates. You attacked the people that you claimed were your family.” She shakes her head and comes back up to the glass.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you Steve, don’t listen to her. Stark has gotten to her, like he gets to everyone.”

“I need you to tell me right now what you did to Tony.” She takes in the cold look Steve seems to be giving her before shaking her head.

“I already said. I didn’t do anything to him.” She looks away. “I tried, but I don’t know. Something went wrong and somehow he forced my attack to backfire. I don’t know how he did it, but I’m telling you. I didn’t do anything to him.” She looks back at Steve. “I’m sorry Steve. I know you’re angry because I lashed out at you, but it was an accident. I just wanted you to move. Please let me out. I don’t like it in here, it reminds me of before…please.”

Rhodey is a little impressed by the blank, emotionless look Steve gives Wanda. “You attacked three members of the Avengers, leaving one in serious condition. You’ll remain in there until you are either transferred to another facility or until we are able to determine what to do with you.” Steve turns and leaves and Rhodey follows him out into the hallway.

“Hey Rogers.” Steve pauses and looks at him. “What was that?” Rhodey motions to the room and Steve shakes his head.

“I thought we could help her, but she’s too volatile and far too angry.”

“See that, that’s what I mean. What the hell is that attitude? Aren’t you normally the one crying how she’s just some misguided kid and we need to ignore her bullshit?”

“That was what I used to think, back when I thought that we could rehabilitate her. But she’s gone too far this time.”

For a moment, Rhodey doesn’t know what to say to that before a thought crosses his mind. “Wait, are you saying this because she attacked Tony and has quite possibly left him _brain dead_. Or are you saying this because your little pet attacked _you_ when she went after him?”

“If we can’t trust where her loyalty is, how can we trust her out on the field?”

“You didn’t answer the question Captain.”

Steve takes a second before crossing his arms again. “I thought that she could be helped because she showed a kind of kinship with us, with me. I was concerned before this, when I learned how she escaped here before. When I heard what she did to the Vision, but I’ll admit that I still held out hope because I thought that she did it out of desperation. Now however, seeing how quickly she’ll turn on those who are on her side?” Steve shakes his head and Rhodey can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“So let me get this straight.” He barely manages to ground out. “You’re throwing her away because she finally turned and attacked _you._ Not because she attacked Vision, or Bruce or any of us before, but because she attacked _you_. That’s your final straw with her?” Rhodey shakes his head and has to take a step back so that he doesn’t attempt to throw a punch. “You sanctimonious asshole. You only care about people as long as they’re caring about you and doing what you tell them to do.”

“Wanda went too far Rhodes.”

“I agree, trust me when I say I agree, but that’s not what we’re talking about right now. We’re talking about your conditional loyalty. We’re talking about your superiority complex.”

 _‘Colonel.’_ FRIDAY interrupts them and Rhodey has to calm himself down for a second.

“Yes FRIDAY?”

_‘The Professor has arrived.’_


	15. Chapter 15

Despite the circumstances being a complete and utter nightmare, the Accords come in and seem to go off without a hitch.

Sam was slightly worried about them before, back when they were first put out on the table and Ross was practically salivating at the chance to have any kind of say or control over the Avengers themselves. Sam had practically recoiled the minute Secretary Ross had entered the scene. Riley had worked under Ross for some time and had nothing good to say about the man who had once used his own daughter to try and capture Bruce Banner.

When Ross entered with Tony that day, for some reason Sam lumped them in together. It was almost an ‘aha!’ moment. Like all of a sudden Sam’s distrust and dislike of the billionaire was justified, and that all of their previous behavior where Tony was concerned was suddenly acceptable. When Tony had agreed to the Accords and had pushed back against Steve and the rest of them- Sam had gone even further down that path and thought of Tony as a hypocrite and someone who couldn’t stick to his guns. Someone who betrayed his friends at a moment’s notice.

But that wasn’t really the case…was it? And why was it that something like ‘changing your mind’ was suddenly a horrible thing when Tony did it- but when Steve went a complete one eighty and decided that no government could be trusted, Sam went along with him. Even though Sam knew that not every apple in the bushel was a Ross. But Sam had convinced himself that Tony Stark himself _had_ been like Ross once. Or at least close enough. He’d been arrogant and condescending and an all-around jackass. So distrust of him was completely justified.

But that man that he hated was pre-Afghanistan Tony.

That was before Tony Stark had returned and had declared to the world that a lack of accountability had allowed Stark Industry weapons to end up in the hands of terrorists.

Tony had been calling for accountability from day one and yet Sam had chosen to never see it. He had chosen to pretend that the man who was standing next to him in battle was the man prior to his violent awakening.

And for some reason, Sam still had a hang up on the whole thing. Like even in his mind he had to distance Tony _from_ Tony in order to only semi stand with him. It couldn’t be all of Tony, and all of Tony’s history- it could only be the certain aspects of Tony. Only the aspects of Tony that Sam thought were acceptable.

Riley would have been disappointed in him.

Now though, all of his previous behavior was even harder to swallow. To know that Tony _had_ reached out and had tried to communicate and Steve had cut him off at the legs. To know that Tony had managed to help them, to get them all cleared of their own bullheaded stupidity and to have Steve throw that back in the brunet’s face again.

And to realize that even after _all of that_ Tony had still come to Sam in order to try and help his ‘friends’. Friends who threw Rhodes’s injury in Tony’s face as though it were all Tony’s fault. Friends who demanded that Tony give everything to them and yet couldn’t even be bothered to give the slightest inch to him. Friends who made it their personal mission in life to make everything Tony Stark’s fault and to let Tony know about it every waking moment.

God. They weren’t heroes. They were school yard bullies of the worst kind.

Sam runs a hand over his face in dismayed frustration.

God, how did they all get here? When did it happen?

“Are you okay?” Sam turns to see Steve standing in the doorway, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. It’s a common pose that Steve takes when he’s trying to seem friendly and approachable. Normally, Sam would be all about Steve showing up to talk to him, but today it just feels…wrong.

“I’m fine.” Sam goes to walk by him but Steve moves in front of him.

“Can we talk?”

“I have nothing to say to you right now Steve.” Steve nods, but doesn’t move.

“I get that. I do Sam, but please…talk to me. We’re friends, and I’m sorry for what I did. I wasn’t thinking clearly and I made a bad choice.” Sam waits for Steve to finish and Steve seems to realize that he’s got a chance. “I’m so sorry Sam. I don’t like us not talking.” There’s a moment before Sam steps back into the room and Steve follows him, a hopeful look on his face.

“Fine, we’re going to talk about this, we’re going to talk about _all_ of it. And you’re going to answer my questions truthfully or so help me Steve, you turn your ass around- walk out that door and don’t ever look in my direction again.” Steve nods instantly. “You realize what you did right? You realize what you did to me?”

“Yes.”

“I want to hear you say it Steve. I need to know that you _know_ why I’m pissed.”

“I lied to you about what was going on. I should have been upfront about Tony’s offer but I swear to you it had already slipped my mind by time everything calmed down. I thought it was all just a load of bull that Tony was feeding me in order to trick me into signing those papers.”

“And what made you think that?” Steve pauses at his question. “What made you think that Tony was trying to sell us out? Because I’ve been thinking back and I’m starting to see a possible discord in how we treated and represented Tony, and his actions and what the man actually was doing.”

Steve looks confused. “I didn’t think Tony was trying to sell us out.” Sam pauses and just takes a moment to actually _look_ at Steve.

“Dude…you _just_ said that you thought it was a load of bull that Tony was feeding you to trick you.” Steve shakes his head.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Sam crosses his arms at Steve’s almost flippant response.

“How did you mean it then?”

“I don’t know; I mean that Tony had his own agenda during the whole thing. It made it kind of hard to trust him. You know that.”

“No actually. I don’t know that.” Sam weighs the possible ways to handle this situation, leaning on all of the classes and training that he’s gone through. He’s starting to see the start of _something_ , and it’s something that he’s not sure is a good thing. “Okay, so Tony had an agenda. What was it?”

“To get us to sign.”

“Why?”

“I…” Steve pauses, and for a moment Sam can just see the fact that he never once thought about the reasoning behind Tony’s actions throughout this whole thing. “I don’t know. Sometimes Tony just jumps on board with things before they play out. He wants them to work but they’re not always a good thing.”

“Give me an example.”

“What?”

“An example, of a time Tony just jumped on something without working through the consequences of his actions.”

Steve gives a shrug. “It’s Tony, Sam. You know how he is.”

“That isn’t an answer Steve, give me a concrete example.”

“Ultron.” The word is an ugly word and Sam’s mind immediately remembers the interview on the news a little while ago with Cho’s assistant. He remembers how they all instantly threw Ultron in Tony’s face and proceeded to gang up on the brunet and physically assault him in his own home - in his own _lab_. The place that Tony should have felt the safest in, and he was attacked through the hologram of his AI’s broken programing by the people who claimed to be his friends. A bunch of people who seemed to only need the barest _hint_ of a reason to be justified in turning against the brunet. The memory and the resulting realization makes Sam’s stomach sour.

“And what did Tony do?”

“He basically created a psychotic AI who tried to end the world.”

“No actually, he didn’t. We know this, we’ve seen the investigation and the reports. Hell, Hill _hates_ Tony and even she came to the conclusion that at no time did Tony do anything outside of protocol when dealing with the scepter. Poking at it to figure out what it was, and intentionally ignoring safety measures are two different things. So tell me, if we know this - if you _know_ this to be true- then why do you continue to behave and react in such a way as to make it seem like Tony must atone for a mistake that he didn’t make?”

“If Tony hadn’t poked at it, if he had just told us what he was doing, we could have prevented the whole thing.”

“So you think that Tony is still responsible for Ultron.”

Steve’s tone is a little frustrated sounding. “That’s not what I said.”

“Then explain it to me again.”

“Tony just acted on a whim. He just decided all on his own to add Ultron into his robots. He didn’t discuss it with any of us, he didn’t give us any say in what he was doing.”

Sam waits for a few moments, before sighing and motioning for Steve to sit down. This is clearly about to be a much longer conversation than he wanted to have with the blonde. This though, this needs to be handled if they’re ever going to move past this. Steve has already told Sam his distrust of psychiatrists and psychologists, not really trusting telling a complete stranger his secrets. But right now, Sam wants nothing more than to plop Steve down on one of his colleges couches. One who actually has a degree in this and will be able to handle it much better than he ever could.

However, for today it looks like he’s going to give it his best shot.

“Okay. One: Tony did not make a unilateral decision to just add Ultron into the Ultron program. He had Bruce there.”

“That’s not-” Steve starts to interrupt but Sam presses on stubbornly.

“Bruce was there, a man who has the intelligence and understanding behind him to be able to comprehend the full situation, and to be able to make a rational and informed decision. However, you’re also ignoring the second person in the room who has how many doctorates now? Seven? You are ignoring the vast experience and knowledge that _Tony_ _himself_ has on the subject. This is a man who has been making robots and AI programs since he was what? Seventeen? What makes you think that two of the smartest people in the world, and arguably the most qualified, could not make a decision to run a simple _diagnostic_ on the scepter? What makes you think that somehow they just rushed into it without thought? Without understanding anything that they were doing?”

“That wasn’t what they did.”

“Then what did they do Steve? Because all of the reports and their own testimony shows that they were nowhere near integrating Ultron with the AI program. That Ultron just came online on his own.”

“They made a choice that affected all of us, and they made it without us there.” Sam fights down the sigh.

“So you’re not angry or blaming them for Ultron itself, you’re blaming them for not getting _your_ go ahead on a program that honestly had nothing to do with you.” Sam pauses. “Actually wait. No, you’re not blaming Bruce for that…you’re only blaming Tony for it. Tony and _Tony’s secret_ s. Those things that for some reason he can’t keep anymore. Everyone else on the team can have their secrets, but not Tony. Why is that Steve?”

“The Ultron program affected us. Tony wanted to make us obsolete.”

“That’s exactly what the Iron Legion program was for as well. Extra soldiers who could be there when we could not. I didn’t see you throwing a fit about them? I didn’t see you telling Tony that showing up one day with the Iron Legion was a bad thing. Ultron was just another version of the Iron Legion.”

“It isn’t the same thing Sam.”

“You keep saying that, but you’ve yet to explain what it _is_.” Sam can see the irritation in Steve’s body starting to rise to he backs off a little. “Okay, answer this question for me. How could you justify keeping a secret as big as the assassination of Tony’s parents by Hydra and telling yourself that it was perfectly okay and understandable, but something like Tony running a diagnostic without telling you was somehow unforgivable.”

“Bucky was innocent Sam.”

“I didn’t ask that.”

“Yes you did. Bucky was innocent. He didn’t choose to kill Howard and his girl. I couldn’t tell Tony about that. He would have gone after Bucky.”

“So you placed Bucky on a higher rung of importance than Tony. Although couldn’t it be argued that if Tony had been told and had time to work though the information that he would have come to the same conclusion that Bucky was just as much of a victim as he was?”

“Tony _attacked_ Bucky, Sam. He blew off his arm- he tried to kill him.”

“That’s what happened because he found out the truth with the man right in front of him. He didn’t have time to properly process that kind of information like he might have if you had told him sooner.”

“Tony wouldn’t have cared.” Sam lets those words hang in the air.

“…you know.” He starts slowly, working through the words in his mind before they come out of his mouth. “If anyone had asked me before all of this who knew Tony the best…I would have said you.” Sam glances up at the blonde and meets his eyes. “However, now I’m realizing that would have been absolutely terrible advice. You don’t know Tony at all, and far too many people have just taken your word as gold about the character of a man you haven’t even had the curtesy to _pretend_ to understand.”

“Tony wouldn’t have cared Sam.” Is Steve’s reply, it’s soft and almost pleading with him. Like Steve knows that Sam is pulling away from him again.

“Really? Because last week if I had walked into this Compound I would have seen Bucky with his new arm that Tony put together piece by piece with his own hands. I would have seen the two of them joking over the breakfast counter, or seen them watching movies with each other. Tony _has_ forgiven Bucky for what Hydra used him for. Tony _has_ seen that Bucky was an innocent victim and has gone out of his way to make Bucky feel comfortable and safe.” Sam shakes his head. “When was the last time any of us tried to make Tony feel comfortable? Or even _liked_? When did we make him feel safe with us? Can you name one time Steve? Because I can’t. And now he’s lying in a hospital bed, possibly dying, and we have to realize how we contributed to him landing there. We have to realize our hand in all of this.”

“We didn’t hurt Tony, Sam. Wanda did that.”

“And why did Wanda even have the opportunity to do it? Tony wanted to send Wanda off to Xavier back when she first defected to ‘our side’. You didn’t let him. Why?”

“Wanda was one of us.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? She helped us, she lost her only family in helping us.”

“She helped Ultron too.” Steve’s mouth clicks shut. “And Tony was right, Xavier would have been a better teacher to a telepath. A telepath who tormented Tony for weeks when she first got here.”

“Those were accidents.” Sam gives Steve a ‘who the fuck do you think you’re kidding here?’ look

“Those were _not_ accidents. We all knew it. Don’t even pretend that you didn’t. Whether you’ve admitted it to yourself or not, you know that she knew full well what she was doing.” Sam shakes his head. “She played with Tony and tormented his nights and we all just looked the other way. We looked the other way so much that Tony fucking _left_ the Compound. And then miraculously she had control of her abilities and she was no longer getting into people’s nightmares.”

“That wasn’t why Tony left. He needed to be closer to SI projects.”

“Steve that’s bullshit and you know it. Tony left because yet again he was being attacked by an Avenger, and we all just stood by and did nothing.” Sam looks at Steve. “Was it because you thought she was justified? Because she said that Tony killed her family? Because she was hurting, did you think it was okay that she was just letting off a little steam at Tony’s expense?”

Steve recoils from Sam like Sam’s done something horrible, something disgusting.

The sad thing is – is that Sam _did_ do this. They all did it. Where was that horror while it was happening? Where was this emotion on Tony’s behalf when Tony needed it?

“I never said-” Steve starts and Sam cuts him off.

“You didn’t have to. Actions speak louder than words, haven’t you ever heard that phrase before? It doesn’t matter what we like to think we did, all that matters is what we _did_.” Sam tilts his head. “I seem to recall saying something about how if you lied to me that we were done. So I’m asking Steve. Did you know that Wanda was doing it intentionally?”

Steve goes to say something. Opens his mouth and Sam arches an eyebrow. He’s daring Steve to try him. To test his resolve, but slowly Steve’s mouth closes and his body starts to shrink in on itself. There’s a few moments of silence. “Did you know that Wanda was intentionally interfering with Tony’s dreams Steve?” Sam asks again and there’s a moment before Steve let’s his head fall. His hair hiding his eyes.

“…yeah.” The word is almost so silent that Sam barely makes it out. “I knew.”

It hits Sam a little harder than he expected to actually hear Steve admit to it. Inwardly he knew that Steve had to know, but to actually hear Captain America admit that he knew that one of his team was tormenting another is like having the ground ripped up from under him again.

“Why didn’t you stop it? Wanda listened to you. Why didn’t you stop her?” Steve shakes his head and lets his head fall into his hands.

“Don’t ask me that Sam. Please…just don’t ask.” Sam knows that Steve knows exactly why he allowed it to continue and as curious as Sam is for the reason- he’ll respect the boundary that Steve’s just drawn.

“We’re broken Steve.” Sam says a few minutes later. After the heavy silence that hung after the previous confession. “Are you really surprised that the world noticed it too? Are you really surprised that Tony agreed to the need for something like the Accords? With his own experiences with this so called ‘team’?”

Steve’s head immediately snaps up. “This has nothing to do with the Accords Sam. Don’t make this about them.”

“Of course this has to do with the Accords, how can you say it doesn’t?”

“The Accords are bad news Sam. You have to see that.” Sam shakes his head slowly and makes sure that Steve sees it.

“I’m realizing right now that they are probably the most important thing to happen to the Avengers since our creation. I know what you think about them. I know that you think that bad people are just going to come in and put collars and barcodes on each of us and just check us out for wars like you check a book out at a library.” Sam laughs a little at the absurdity of the statement. “But that isn’t what they’re about. We started this whole stupid fight over something that none of us even took a second to understand. When the hell did we get it in our heads that we were somehow above reproach? With our history?”

“Sam, what’s happened with Tony doesn’t mean that the Accords aren’t a bad deal. Sure, they’ll handle Wanda, but what happens when one of us does the smallest infraction and they lock us up?”

“We’ll deal with that when it comes to it, but to be honest? I don’t see that happening.”

“You saw what they did to Clint,” Steve presses and Sam stares at him.

“Clint broke in and assaulted Tony.”

“He barely touched him Sam. He barely touched him and now he’s in prison. They’re saying he might be there for ten to fifteen years.”

“Yeah. That’s what happens in America when you _break in_ to someone’s home and then _physically assault_ them. I don’t care if he slapped Tony or if he punched him. He laid his hands on Tony with an intent to cause physical harm and without Tony’s permission. Clint deserves to be in jail, and don’t give me that look because he _knew_ better.”

“Laura left him Sam.”

“And how does that all of a sudden lead to a logical answer of: Lets go punch Tony?”

“That’s not what I said.” Steve snaps and Sam shakes his head.

“You know, you keep saying that. But you don’t seem to realize that’s _exactly_ what you’re saying.”

“No it isn’t. I’m saying that it’s understandable that he was angry.”

“And therefore it’s understandable that he hurt Tony?”

“That…That isn’t…you’re twisting what I’m saying.”

“No Steve I’m not. I think you just don’t like me pointing out the hypocrisy in your statements.”

“Clint shouldn’t have hit Tony but-” Sam immediately speaks up to stop Steve.

“There is no ‘but’ there Steve. There is no ‘but’. Under no circumstances should there ever be a ‘but’ in a phrase like that.”

“I’m just trying to say that he had his reasons.”

“And his reasons were bullshit.”

“His wife left him Sam. He can’t see his kids anymore. He’s been locked up in prison twice now because of Tony.”

“Wow…Okay, first – Clint broke the law. I’m starting to get frustrated about having to repeat that. He broke the law and do you know what happens to people who break the law? Hint: We don’t just give them a Pina Colada and send them on their way.” Steve gets a stubborn, upset look on his face. “No? Okay I’ll tell you. People who break the law go to jail. Do you know who doesn’t get a say about that? Tony. Tony doesn’t. When Clint decided to come here and hurt him guess what? He broke the law again. So he went back to jail. None of that is on Tony. Implying that it is somehow Tony’s fault is some victim blaming bullshit and I won’t have it anymore.” Steve doesn’t say anything but it’s clear that he wants to. Sam shakes his head. “Steve…I think…I think you need to see someone.”

“What?” Steve pushes back in his seat and Sam almost reaches out for him.

“Look, there’s a reason why therapists aren’t really supposed to take friends or colleagues as their patients. They’re too close to the situation and they’re unable to be a neutral third party.”

“I don’t need to see a-” Sam actually does reach out this time and places a hand on Steve’s shoulder.

“Steve. Steve man please. Just listen to me okay? You’ve been through so much and you haven’t really had a chance to work through any of it. I can’t help you. I wish I could, I really do- but I can’t. I think that there are things that you need to work out.”

“There isn’t anything that I need to work out Sam.”

“Nothing?”

“I’ve already told you everything.”

“Everything?” Steve gives him a look.

“Steve, that’s a lie.”

“No it isn’t Sam.” Sam lets his head fall down for a second before looking back up at Steve.

“Okay. Then tell me Steve, why didn’t you stop Wanda?” Steve tenses under his hand and Sam shakes his head. “Don’t tell me, I’m not actually asking. But do you see that? There’s something in there that you haven’t dealt with.”

“It’s just...it’s nothing bad.” Steve slowly says, like he’s convincing himself of it.

“Then you shouldn’t have any problems telling someone about it.”

“I…I can’t.”

“That’s fine. I’m not pushing, I’m trying to say that you need to see someone. You need to talk to someone and let them help you. I know that there was supposed to be someone who integrated you into this new timeframe, why don’t you go talk to them?” Steve looks away.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“…it was Tony.”

“What? I…I would have thought that Fury would have made it like Natasha or some other agent.”

“He wanted to, but Tony blew up the lower decks and ‘kidnapped’ me. He called it: Operation Rip Van Winkle.” There’s a small smile that comes to Steve’s lips at the memory. “He said that SHIELD was only going to show me the boring things. So he was my self-appointed ‘Tour Guide to the 21st Century’.” Sam lets Steve have whatever good memories he’s remembering for a few seconds.

“Okay…but as great as Tony might have been with the ‘fun’ side, I’m sure that there are some things that he missed. And he’s not exactly trained to deal with trauma in general, let alone your completely original issues. Maybe it would be good to just have a few sessions? You can talk about anything you want? Just…let me make a few calls for you? I’d never put you with someone who wasn’t dependable or trustworthy Steve.” Steve clearly wants to still argue, but he seems to see something in Sam’s eyes and he slowly nods.

“Sure…I can do a few sessions. Like four or five.”

“Sounds like a great start. I’ll make some calls, I’ll get you someone good I promise.”

Any moment that they might have had, any kind of ‘bro bonding’ or whatever is broken with the door practically slams open and Sharon Carter storms in. For a second Sam thinks they’re under attack with the deadly look in her eyes but she sees Steve and lets out a shaky sigh.

“Sharon?” Is Steve’s completely baffled sounding tone and she approaches.

“Hey Steve. Long time no see.” She does a small quirk of her lips to her joke and Bucky comes in after her. She reaches up for Steve, to place a small kiss on his lips clearly, and Sam shares her surprise when Steve pulls back from her a little with a guilty look thrown in Bucky’s direction. “…O…Kay…” She says slowly as she looks from Bucky, whose jaw has tightened slightly, to Sam who just shrugs in confusion about whatever hang up the two super soldiers are having right now.

He doesn’t remember any issues under the bridge with Bucky and Sam seeing Sharon and Steve kiss, so he knows that it isn’t embarrassment from public displays of affection.

“Sharon…what are you doing here?” Steve asks and Sharon tilts her head.

“I got the call about what happened. I came as soon as I could.” She pulls back and clenches her fists, rage in her eyes. “And they’re keeping tall, dark and stoic over here as my bodyguard.”

“Why do you need a bodyguard?” Sam asks and she shakes her head.

“It’s not for me. It’s for the little witch. It’s to make sure that I don’t sneak into her cell and strangle her to death.” She pushes a piece of hair out of her face with frustration. “I’d like to see how _she’d_ like it.” Sharon pauses and takes a second. “Although, there is something that I still feel like I need to do.” There’s a moment before her fist is flying and Steve’s head is snapping to the side. It’s immediately followed up with three or four more rapid punches – she’s fast and Sam’s pretty sure he counted all of them but he can’t know for sure – and Steve ends up on the ground while Sharon is standing over him like a warrior goddess. “And that was me having already been talked down. You put a hand on my family like that again Rogers and I don’t care how cute you are – I will _end_ you.”

Steve is staring up at her with a look of confused terror. “I don’t…what are you talking about?” Bucky has shifted to come stand alongside Sam and Sam barely hears him mutter ‘this is about to get interesting’ before Sharon is answering Steve’s question.

“You’re lucky I’ve had time, and I’ve had at least thirty missions, to calm me down. But I’m not playing with you Steve, I’ve put men in the ground for much smaller infractions against my cousin than what you did.”

“Your cousin?” Sam and Steve echo each other and Sharon gives them a look like they’re idiots.

“He’s not _actually_ my cousin. Aunt Peggy was both Tony’s and my godmother. We grew up together.” There seems to be an unhealthy couple of shades of color that leaves Steve’s face at her words.

“You and Tony?” She nods like Steve’s being slow.

“Who do you think got half of the information that Rhodes asked for when Tony got kidnapped? Or got them out of half of the crap that they got into back in college?”

“Are you okay Steve?” Sam asks and Steve slowly nods, pushing himself up to his feet. There’s still that shaken, horrified look on his face and Sam can understand. If his girlfriend just decided to pull those moves on him to let him know who was boss he’d probably look the same way.

“The Professor is in with Tony right now.” Bucky says and Sam feels a brief moment of hope. Whatever Wanda did, the Professor who runs the school for ‘gifted youngsters’ is supposedly the most powerful telepath on earth, he’ll be able to fix it right?

“And Doctor Grey is down with Natasha. They’re interviewing Wanda right now.” Sharon finishes.

“Interviewing?” Steve asks and Sharon nods.

“It’s part of the Accords process. It needs to be determined if she can be rehabilitated or if she’s just a danger to society.” Sharon shrugs, but the anger is under the surface again. “If they determine that she can be rehabilitated then a program will be created to achieve said results.”

“And if she can’t?” Sam asks.

“Then several things might happen. I couldn’t say but I know that her powers might be taken away from her if it’s possible and if it won’t cause any damage to Wanda herself. Second, she’ll go to a facility for however long her sentence is.” She lets out a shaky little exhale. “But Charles said that he thinks Tony is alright. That Tony’s just…not with us right now. That he’s…shut down somehow and Charles just needs to convince him to come back to us.” She gets an uncertain smile. “But he’s hopeful, he’s got Vision in there with him right now and they’re making progress. Pepper is lighting a fire under the Accords staff’s asses.” She laughs a little. “Knew I liked her. Still too bad they didn’t work out.”

“Pepper and Tony aren’t together anymore?” This is news to Sam. He thought that they were going strong?

“They haven’t been dating for almost two years now. They’re both seeing other people…which I’m going to guess I’m not finally going to get the secret of who my cousin has seen fit to hide from me from you guys am I?”

“Oh who knows.” Bucky says, an almost flippant tone to his voice. “Maybe you will. It’s a small world I’m told.”

“Getting smaller.” Steve mutters, his voice still tight and reedy. Sam looks back and forth between the two of them. Bucky is clearly amused by something, and Steve is giving him a look like Bucky is on the borderline of betrayal.

Something is going on here.

Sam can tell he’s not the only one to notice, Sharon notices it too. She looks at Sam again for information and Sam just shakes his head again confused and with an obvious air of: don’t look at me.

Happy walks into the room a few minutes later, seeing Sharon and getting the biggest smile on his face. It takes a moment before hope overtakes hers and she takes an unsure step towards him. “Is he?” Happy nods.

“He’s awake.”

 


	16. Chapter 16

**\- Host System Shut Down Complete –**

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**\- Host System Online-**

“Sir? Sir it’s time to wake up.” The voice echoes through the darkness around him as Tony struggles to open his eyes. It feels a little like being under water for a moment, but there’s a gentle tugging dragging him up to the surface.

“…JARVIS?” The lights are too bright as Tony blinks a few times. “Lights.” He manages to croak out. There’s movement around him before there’s the scraping sound of someone pulling the curtains closed and the room’s brightness dials down to an acceptable level. There’s a couple of seconds before the familiar red face comes into view. “Vision?”

“It’s good to see you back.” Vision smiles as Charles rolls into view beside him.

“Good morning Mr. Stark. Glad to see you back with us.” Tony rolls those words over in his mind, and it takes a moment before he recalls some of what happened. He remembers the look in Wanda’s eyes and the way Steve got thrown.

“..Steve?...Wanda?” It feels like there’s cotton in his mouth and he tries to lick his dry lips but it does nothing.

“Here.” There’s a straw that taps at his mouth and it takes a second to focus on Vision holding up the glass of water for him. The water is exactly what he needs as he takes several large sips.

“Mr. Rogers has already recovered and has been inquiring after your health. Miss Maximoff has been down in the holding cells with Miss Romanoff and Doctor Grey.” Charles says as Vision pulls away.

“Thanks Viz.” Tony says and the other gets a smile. “What…what did she do? I don’t…I don’t remember…” There’s a buzzing sort of headache behind his eyes and he scrunches them closed even though he knows it won’t help.

“Why don’t we start with what you do remember? Then we’ll fill in the blanks from there?” Tony nods at Charles soft request.

“I’d just gotten back from our meeting…I was supposed to watch a movie with Steve and then Wanda came in…she wasn’t making any sense and we weren’t able to talk her down…She hurt Steve…and then she came after me… that’s it, that’s all I remember. It all goes dark after that.”

“Miss Maximoff did indeed cause injury to the Captain. Concussion I’m told, but luckily due to his healing abilities he was up and about within the hour.” That’s a relief to hear that Steve wasn’t hurt for long because Wanda was trying to get through to him. “You yourself received several lacerations and bruising. Plus two cracked ribs but they were all healed within the first few hours as well.”

“Extremis?” He thinks he remembers the tingling sensation of Extremis coming online…it’s hard to remember, everything is so jumbled up in his head.

“We believe so. We also believe that Extremis might be a little more…wily then we might have originally thought.”

“What does that mean?”

“I am cautious to say anything for certain at this time.” Charles starts, his tone calm and comforting. As if Tony might turn into a spooked horse at any moment with the words he’s saying. “But there have been some developments that I believe may directly relate to the Extremis virus within your body.”

“What kinds of developments?”

“Well, for starters, you seem to have acquired a mental shielding against psychic readings and attacks. Doctor Grey and I were made aware of this possibility when you visited us yesterday, but we did not wish to cause alarm at the time. If you recall the comments made about you being very quiet?” Tony nods slowly, he remembers something about that.  

“So…mental shielding? Does that mean that you can’t read my mind anymore?”

“Not currently, no. Not without intent. While I am sure that it is still entirely possible, but not without pushing a little harder than I like to press without good reason.” Tony shifts slightly in the bed, starting to sit up and smiles at Vision who immediately rushes forward to shift the pillow up behind him to better support his new position.

“Thanks buddy.”

“Of course.” Tony glances back at Charles.

“So…I’m just going to go out on a limb here and say that Extremis shouldn’t be able to do that…right?”

“No, with all of the notes that we recovered from A.I.M. it does not show any prevalence for this sort of behavior.”

“So…what? It mutated?” Tony tests the thought out on his tongue and he’s not really sure how to feel about the implications of that statement.

“That’s entirely possible. As of right now we have nothing to base that conclusion on. I wish, with your permission of course, to run a few tests before we sound the alarm?” Tony nods at the request. “And it might be best to have Doctor Cho hold off on the anti-virus for now.”

“Yeah…that might be wise.”

~+~

“Tony!” It’s moments after Charles and Vision leave the room that Pepper, Happy and Rhodey enter. He gives them the most natural smile that he thinks he can manage right now. His head is still buzzing, a little more so now after Charles did some telepathic prods, and the lights are still a smidgen too bright but he’s really happy to see them. The hug Pepper gives is just on the borderline of being too tight and she’s shaking. The smile relaxes into something a little more genuine at it.

“Hey guys.”

“Oh my…I swear to God Tony, you’re coming back to Malibu with me. This is just…this is beyond ridiculous. Every time I turn around one of them is trying to kill you. I can’t…I can’t take this anymore. You don’t have a choice, I’ll kidnap you if I have to.” Pepper’s whispering into his ear and Tony returns the embrace.

“Pep, I’m okay. And you know I can’t come back to Malibu right now. The Accords-”

“Kidnapping. You can’t help it if you’re kidnapped.” Tony can’t help the little chuckle as she pulls away and he’s immediately hugged by Happy.

“I’m coming back Boss. I’m going to be right here. No one is going to get past me, not on my watch.” Tony shakes his head.

“Not your boss anymore, Pep is. And I need you to protect her.”

“She’s not the one getting attacked by Errol Flynn knockoff’s and mutant witches every other day.” He sounds like he might cry, just like he did back at the hospital when Tony was first wheeled in from Siberia, and Tony feels like the most horrible being on the planet.

“Move aside, my turn.” Rhodey says as Happy pulls back and wipes at his eyes as subtly as he can. “You’re a danger magnet I swear.” Rhodey whispers in his ear and Tony hugs him tight.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say you’re sorry. None of this was you, do you hear me? They have so much bullshit to answer for right now it’s unreal, but none of this is you.” Tony lets that wash over him for a moment as Rhodey pulls back and the three of them settle into comfortable positions on the edge of the bed.

“Does anyone know yet what happened with Wanda? Charles didn’t have any concrete answers when I asked him earlier.” The question immediately puts a dark look on the three faces and Tony cringes. “Too soon?” He ventures.

“Apparently she read some file that you asked Natasha to pull, and got it in her head that you were the great puppet master behind all of Obadiah’s bullshit. So naturally you had to die.” It’s clear in Rhodey’s tone what he thinks of Wanda’s reading comprehension skills. Pepper rolls her eyes at Rhodey’s words and Happy takes a few more seconds to compose himself.

“Charles did say that Jean’s been trying to see if she can be rehabilitated…how’s that going?”

“We’re not sure. We haven’t been filled in yet, we won’t know till Jean writes up her report, besides we were a little less concerned with her and a little more concerned with you.” Tony nods at Pepper’s answer, remembering something about that in the Accords.

“How’s Steve taking that?” Rhodey’s face scrunches up in disgust and Tony can already imagine the hell that Steve is raising. “That bad?”

“I seriously don’t see what anyone sees in that sanctimonious asshole.” The vehemence of the statement catches Tony a little off guard.

“It’s the spandex.” Is the joke he throws out and it seems to work some magic when the three chuckle a bit and shake their heads.

“I’m sure there are people who look better in spandex than that moron. Dress one of them up like a walking flag and just kick Rogers out to the curb.”

“What’s he doing? Demanding we release Wanda because ‘interning’ is illegal? Has he gone that route again?”

“Oh no, so much better than that.” Rhodey rolls his eyes. “He’s decided that because she attacked _him_ that she’s no longer trustworthy and that the government can just come in and do whatever they want to her. She’s dead to him now sort of bullshit.” Tony arches an eyebrow at the information.

“I’m sure it’s not as bad as all of that…”

“Trust me man. I almost decked him myself.” Tony takes a moment to absorb that information. “By the way, Sharon made it in.” That makes Tony’s head snap back up to Rhodey.

“Sharon’s here?”

“She came in a little while ago.” Rhodey lets out a small huff that sounds amused. “They had to stick Barnes on her.”

“What? What for?”

“They were afraid that she’d do ‘something incredibly stupid’.” Tony can already imagine half of the things the Sharon was threatening on her way over. “Better or worse than Tiberius?” He asks and Rhodey seems to actually weigh them.

“Eh, nothing’s as bad as Tiberius, but bad enough.” Is Rhodey’s answer and Tony can see why they would put the ex-Winter Soldier on Agent 13. He knows first-hand how creative and descriptive Sharon can get when she thinks someone has slighted one of her family or her friends. Hell, Tony saw a lot of it personally back in college when Rhodey and Sharon worked together to be sure that no jerk tried to take advantage of fifteen year old Tony. It’s almost twenty minutes later when Sharon herself finally enters the room. She looks unsure about entering and stands by the door awkwardly. Tony glances at the others still in the room with him.

“Hey, can I have a minute with Sharon?” They all shuffle out with some final parting words, there’s things to be done after all and they can’t just stay in his medical room no matter how much he would like them too, and Sharon lets the door close behind her.

“Hey Cuz.” She greets and Tony pats the side of his bed, motioning for her to come sit. She takes a second before she comes over. “You’re looking better.”

“I’m feeling better, so that’s good.” She sits. “I’m glad to see that everything worked out for you.”

“Yeah. Probation and all of that…They’ve got me running every, and any, mission that comes across their desks but I don’t really mind it.”

“You always did hate feeling like you were sitting behind a desk all day.” She gives him a small smile and for a moment Tony contemplates how to broach the subject he’s been meaning to broach ever since the conversation with Natasha. He almost wonders if he even should broach it, but it’s something he needs to know and this might be the only truly private conversation that they’re going to be able to have for some time, so he asks.

“Sharon, can I ask you a question?” She nods. “I’ve been meaning to ask…back during the whole ‘Civil War’ thing.” He waves a hand in the air to make it seem like it’s an inconsequential subject. “Why did you take the shield and the wings to Steve?”

There’s something that crosses Sharon’s face before it goes strangely neutral. “I…I thought he was doing the right thing. Or at least for the right reasons. Shows what I know.” Tony watches her face carefully, watches the tells that he’s known since they were young take residence.

“So it wasn’t SHIELD who told you to give them back to him? In some kind of misguided attempt to undo the Accords and keep the Avengers under SHIELD control?”

Sharon gives Tony a look that Tony would label as ‘confused’. “Tony, SHIELD is gone. It fell, you know that.”

“Kind of like how Coulson died before the battle of New York too? How I _knew_ that?” She doesn’t say a word. “I know that SHIELD is still active. I know it’s still running in the background. Which answers the question as to why you weren’t rotting away in a cell somewhere waiting for one of us to get you out.” He looks at her. “You never left SHIELD, did you?”

She looks like for a moment she’s going to maintain the illusion, before shaking her head with a sad look. “What did Aunt Peggy use to say? That we were lifers?”

“So Agent 13 was never one of Ross’s agents. Instead you were just on loan. You were always a SHIELD agent. Did they know?”

“No.”

“What was the reasoning behind that whole mission? It seems…sloppy.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like that. It wasn’t supposed to get anyone hurt, it wasn’t supposed to get you or Rhodey hurt. If I had known Tony, if I had known that was going to happen you know I would _never_ have-” Tony reaches out and covers one of her hands with his.

“I know. I knew.”

“The Accords interfered. They were never supposed to go into effect so soon.”

“If it wasn’t about the Accords, then what was it about?”

“Ross.”

“Everett or Thaddeus?”

“Secretary Ross.” She tightens the grip on his hand slightly before continuing. “I can’t tell you details, you know that.”

“I know, I’m just trying to understand what happened. Why it happened.”

“Let’s just say that I was there to play agent provocateur.”

“Your favorite roll to play.” She winks at him. “So, you encouraged Ross into what? Taking advantage of his position?”

“Hypothetically speaking?” He nods. “Hypothetically speaking, maybe.”

Tony thinks about it. “So…if this was a long mission, then Ross was the one who told you to give Steve the information on Bucky wasn’t he?” He knows he’s gotten it right on the head when he says it. “He knew how that would play out…” She doesn’t say anything but her slight head incline says it all. “And he’s the one who told you to give them back their gear. Ross knew they’d make everything worse, and that their actions might push the Accords off the table and allow for one of his mutant registration acts to get looked at.” God, Tony knows how much Ross hated the Accords put forth by Wakanda and King T’Chaka. He had wanted something more to the flavor of what Steve thought the Accords were like, but the dignitaries around the world had sided more with collaboration and cooperation with people like the Avengers rather than trying to collar and control them.

“We didn’t expect everything to spiral out of control like it did. Black Widow was supposed to be handling the Avengers side of things, but then Steve called in the others and King T’Challa couldn’t be contained. I couldn’t break mission to warn you that Ross was just being a posturing asshole who was trying to trick you into doing something that proved you couldn’t be trusted either, and everything just went wrong.”

“…did you know?”

“What would happen? No Tony. You know that Fury would have never allowed for all of that to go down.”

“No, did you know about my parents? About the Winter Soldier?”

“For once I can say no. If I had known about that I would have told you.” Tony lets out a shaky breath that he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding.

“Thank you.” She squeezes his hand back. There’s a moment when they both realize that their eyes have gotten a little watery and they both laugh as they wipe them.

Sharon relaxes for the first time since she walked into the room and smiles at him. “So, things look like they’ve been…interesting for lack of a better word here.”

“You know me, always looking to be interesting.”

“Perhaps you could tone that back a little. You’re going to give Pepper and Rhodey an aneurism. I mean Pepper was already pointing out hairs that have gone grey now.”

“She doesn’t have any grey hairs.”

“She was listing them; Tony-Tony-Tony-Aldrich-Tony-Tony.” Tony laughs.

“She wouldn’t be the first to claim it.”

“Not at all. Rhodey, Pepper, Aunt Peggy, Jarvis…your…girlfriend?” Tony gets a small smile as he shakes his head.

“Nice try.”

“Oh come on!” Sharon says with a light playful poke to Tony’s arm. “This is the first time we’ve had time to gossip in years. You have to tell me.”

“It wouldn’t matter.”

“And why not?”

“We broke up a while ago.” Immediately Sharon’s face falls.

“Oh, oh my god I’m so sorry.” Tony shrugs and shakes his head at her apology.

“Don’t be, kind of realized that I wasn’t as high of a priority for him as he was for me. You know how it always goes.”

“I’m sorry Tony. I thought…I mean you sounded really excited about this one…”

“I was, but then again you should be used to that. I always am.”

“Can I…can I ask who it was?”

Tony thinks about it for a moment, before the weight of the secret seems like such a stupid thing to keep to himself only. “Promise to keep it to yourself?” Sharon holds up her pinky and the two of them intertwine them. “…it was Steve.”

There’s a look on Sharon’s face. “Steve? As in Steve Rogers?”

“Yeah, crazy right? What the hell were we thinking? Tony Stark and Steve Rogers?” Tony let’s out a sarcastic laugh as he runs a hand through his hair. “I guess I wasn’t as immune to Aunt Peggy’s stories as I thought I was.”

“Yeah…me either…” Tony chuckles.

“Those soulful blues got you too huh?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t realize that you two had dated.”

“Did you put the moves on him?”

“Not really, I mean I guess after Aunt Peggy’s funeral and everything…you know how some things just happen.” Tony tilts his head a little.

“Aunt Peggy’s funeral? What happened at the funeral?”

“Not at the funeral per say. When I was giving him his equipment back…we just kind of…you know…we’d been dancing around each other for a while at that point and we kissed.”

“Before the airport?” Tony keeps his tone light.

“Yeah. I know, stupid. If I had known he was your ex I would have steered clear, I never would have allowed him to pursue me or vice versa.” It takes every ounce of willpower in Tony not to respond. Steve was off kissing Sharon during the whole Accords fiasco? While Tony was working his ass off in order to fix all of the things Steve kept breaking. While Tony was calling him and just begging him to come home and talk it out with him? What the Hell Rogers? Half of him wants to demand that Steve march his ass in here right now and answer to the two of them. Instead he gives a tight smile.

“Yeah, I don’t think he’s the one for you. Trust me on this one.”

She shrugs, “I know, it was kind of doomed from the start. The whole lying to him thing.”

“Yeah, I know a thing or two about that.” There’s a second where Sharon looks at him, really looks at him.

“…it was bad, wasn’t it?”

Tony knows what she’s talking about, and the smile he gives her is probably a little too brittle around the edges. “You know me, when do I do anything less?” It takes a moment before a look of horror crosses Sharon’s face, and for a brief second Tony thinks that she knows – that this is it and he better start picking out tombstones for Captain America.

“You two had dated once, were in love once and he left you in Siberia? He _beat_ you and left you to die? Is that why he walked away and you didn’t? Because you held back and he didn’t?” Rage is starting to color her tone and Tony tightens his grip on her hand.

“Murder is a felony.” He jokes lightly, but it’s clear it falls flat. “And it’s over with Sharon. Trust me when I say this – it is _beyond_ over with him.” There must be a little bit of ice that enters his voice even though he tries to keep it down, because Sharon looks at him and a gentle look crosses her face.

“Oh Tony…he broke your heart didn’t he?”

“Keeps on doing it apparently.”

“Want me to break his legs? I can make it look like an accident, you know I can. No one will trace it back to me. I mean, he’s a senior citizen, these things happen. I’m told these things happen.” Tony laughs at Sharon’s statements, and laughs harder after a few seconds because he knows she isn’t really joking.

“Keep it in the pipeline.” Is all he says and she nods once before pulling him into a hug.

“I’m sorry Tony…I’m really, truly sorry.”

~+~

“Hey.” Tony’s grip tightens a little on the StarkPad in his hands as he looks up. “Heard you were feeling better, they just finally opened up visiting hours to everyone.” Steve comes fully into the room and closes the door.

“Yup, I’m a trooper apparently. Can’t keep me down.” The smile on Steve’s face rubs over Tony like sandpaper. It’s soft and fond and it makes Tony want to strangle Steve with his IV drip.

“I’m sorry, about Wanda…I didn’t think she’d ever…” He trails off, like he can’t find the words.

“You didn’t think she’d ever hurt me? Hurt a team mate?” That’s a load of bullshit because Wanda has been doing that since the girl has shown up on the scene. She’s never _not_ done it and if Steve is acting all surprised here than someone really needs to check him out in the head. Some master tactician, if he can’t even realize a simple pattern of behavior.

“I didn’t think she’d ever take it that far.” Tony makes a humming sound as he looks back down at the StarkPad. Jean’s report on Wanda is both concerning and hopeful. Jean believes that with the proper environment and help, Wanda might not be as far gone as they believe. Natasha on the other hand doesn’t fully agree with Jean’s prognosis. Both the check mark and the ‘x’ for Wanda has the Sokovian girl in a kind of limbo, and as her commanding officer they’ve asked Tony to file a report on if he thinks Wanda should be released into Doctor Grey’s care or over to the SHIELD shell prison. Personally, Tony think’s it’s a conflict of interests. Tony has never really commanded Wanda in any way that the girl has ever listened to, and he just got over an assault from the petite brunette. He shouldn’t really have a say in anything concerning the girl’s future. Who is to say that he’d be objective and not completely petty or vindictive?

He makes a mental note to point out the issue to T’Challa and see if they can reorganize a hierarchy of sorts for this sort of thing.

And how the hell did he not realize that all of these extra people and places were still SHIELD? He’s the stupidest genius in the world sometimes.

Tony pauses and glances up at Steve.

He’s the stupidest genius in the world a _lot_ of times. He corrects internally as Steve takes a seat on the chair next to the bed.

“Why are you here Steve?”

“What do you mean, why am I here? I was worried about you, I wanted to check on you.”

“I’m fine. I’m like a cockroach. Apparently you just can’t kill me.” Steve seems to realize that something is wrong because he reaches out to place a hand over Tony’s on his lap and Tony tugs his hand away before he can touch him. “Don’t Rogers. Just…don’t.”

“Tony? What’s wrong?” Immediately Tony want’s to let loose on him, he wants to yell and scream and demand answers, but he refrains – just barely.

“I had in interesting conversation with Sharon earlier. It was truly eye opening, do you know what we talked about Steve?” Steve’s body language turns tense and Tony knows that he’s worried. “We talked about you. I didn’t realize you knew my cousin so well.” Tony keeps his voice light and almost airy.

“I didn’t know she was your cousin.”

“Yeah, most people don’t. The whole ‘not biologically related’ thing just throws them off.”

“Tony…” Steve starts and Tony shakes his head.

“You…you know I’m just…how long Steve? How long were you pursuing Sharon while we were together?”

“It wasn’t like that Tony, I never did anything with her.”

“Kissing feels like doing something with her. Unless you want to try and tell me that you tripped and your tongue somehow found its way into her mouth. I’ll admit, I’m curious to see how you try to explain that.”

“Tony, I promise it wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it like?”

“Things were just crazy, and everything was falling apart. Peggy had just died and Bucky was back but Ross was trying to kill him…everything was just too much and I felt like we…like we weren’t really together anymore since…” Steve cuts off and Tony shakes his head.

“No, please. Finish that sentence. You felt we weren’t together anymore because why?” Steve looks like he doesn’t want to answer the question before he sighs and speaks.

“I felt like you’d betrayed me.”

Tony lets out a soft laugh at that statement and shakes his head, looking back down at the screen on his lap. “You felt like I betrayed you? So what? It was okay then? What’s one betrayal on top of another? Although the funny part of all of this? Is that I never betrayed you.” Tony takes a second and let’s that soak in. “But you betrayed me. Over and over again. All of your talk about being true to one another and being honest with each other was just that – talk.”

“Tony-” Tony shakes his head.

“Don’t Steve. Don’t say a word, because I’ve already learned that you don’t care what you say. You don’t care what promises you make. You don’t respect me, I actually wonder if you ever did – and I’m realizing that I was completely right before, when I said that I was wrong about you.” Tony looks up at Steve again. “But I’ll admit that I thought that I had found the limit for how much you could keep disappointing me.” Tony shakes his head and glances back down, tapping the screen. “I was wrong.”

“Please Tony, please don’t say that. I’m sorry. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. I never meant for you to get hurt, I never thought-”

“No, you didn’t think. You didn’t think you’d get caught, or you didn’t think that it would matter somehow. Maybe you just didn’t think I was worth it. Maybe you thought I wasn’t worth your trust or your loyalty. And you say that you didn’t mean for me to get hurt, but do you realize that now everyone’s hurt, because of you? Because of the things you’ve done?” Tony doesn’t look at Steve as he types out his recommendation for Wanda to be released to Doctor Grey. As far as he’s concerned it’s worth it to at least try to save her, and to continue trying until the end. Besides, Xavier’s school might be exactly what Wanda needs. Tony knows what it’s like to be different and apart from the people that surround you. He knows his early days are nothing compared to the desperate cry that Wanda has been giving out for years. She wants to know what she is, if she’s even still herself, if she’s still human after everything that she let them do to her. There’s no better place that Tony can think to send her than a school of likeminded individuals who have all had that same burning question go through their minds every day. “And then you walk in here, trying to pretend that you care and that you want to get back together?” He lets out a soft laugh. “God, what it must be to live in your head Rogers.”

“Tony…please…I lov-”

“Don’t. You. Dare.” Some of the rage boils to the top. “Don’t even think about finishing that sentence Steve. When have you ever shown anything that even remotely looks like that emotion that you were just prepared to throw around so carelessly? Do not presume to think that you’ll throw that word around and that it will placate me or get you something that you want.” Tony shakes his head. “I’m standing by what I said in the lab the first day you came back. We are through, this toxic thing between us is finished. I’m done making all of the compromises and all of the sacrifices.”

“Tony.” Steve’s tone is soft and pleading.

“Just go Steve. You said it yourself. We were finished long before you came back.” Tony laughs bitterly. “I only wish you had let me know that. Maybe it would have saved us from ending up here.”

Steve looks like he wants to argue, like he wants to say something but Tony knows that he won’t. He’s far too much of a coward for that.

“I’m sorry Tony.” He gets up and leaves the room quietly and Tony feels the first tear that he’s been stubbornly holding inside slide down his face and land on the Pad in his hands.

“Me too.”


	17. Chapter 17

Steve comes out of Tony’s medical room looking like a man who has just lost everything. There’s a sort of daze to his steps as he closes the door softly behind him and Bucky slowly comes forward.

“Hey?” Steve glances up and gives him a wan smile.

“Hey Buck.”

“Everything okay?” Steve takes a moment before nodding, and the lost look on his face makes Bucky want to reach over and hold him.

“Yeah, Tony and I…” He stops for a second and takes a shaky breath. “I guess we’re worse off than I thought.” He does a small shrug before looking up and giving Bucky a tiny smile. “Tony just, he just needs some time. To sort through some things.”

“To sort through what?” Bucky asks and Steve shrugs again.

“He’s dealing with a lot right now, and he just needs some time to work through all of the angles.” Steve sends a brief glance back at the room. “He just needs a little time.” Steve turns back and gets a nostalgic looking smile. “He’s always making rash decisions before really thinking things through and then he regrets it.”

Bucky takes a moment, unsure what answer to formulate and reply with. It’s a common problem he has these days, being unsure how to respond in a ‘correct’ way. “Okay.” Is what he finally settles on in the end. Steve lets out a shaky sigh and runs a hand through his hair before his eyes land on the chairs off to the side of Bucky where Bucky used to be sitting.

“What’s all this?” Bucky follows his look to the brightly colored balloons that have a figure of Iron Man declaring ‘GET WELL SOON’ in obnoxious tones. The small Iron Man stuffed toy, that the lady behind the counter informed him was something called a ‘plushy’, sits nearby.

“I was told that you’re supposed to get people gifts when they’re in the hospital.” He says, a tad defensively because while everyone else has seconded this tradition, he can’t help but wonder if Wilson was having him on. He wouldn’t put it past him. “I saw these and I thought he’d find them funny.” Sam thought so as well, and the three of them - Happy had come along too because Bucky still wasn't allowed to leave the Compound without him, and secretly he was grateful for it - had practically _scoured_ the ‘Hallmark’ store for all of the Iron Man merchandise claiming that it was an important Avengers mission. The poor woman behind the counter seemed so lost and confused with the two of them in their baseball caps, sweaters and sunglasses; and Happy looking like a bodyguard in dark aviators.

Bucky was almost sad that Tony hadn’t been there, he would have had a blast with Wilson. They both had similar senses of humor when it came to not taking things too seriously.

Steve nods, his eyes taking everything in. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate the effort.” There’s something like amusement under his voice. “He always did love anything Iron Man.” There’s a moment of silence, border lining awkward before he hears the sound of someone in fancy shoes and a quiet step coming up behind him. He doesn’t have to turn around to know that it’s the Wakandan King even if Steve’s face hadn’t closed off and practically telegraphed pure spite and loathing for the individual that approached. “Your Majesty.” Steve’s voice comes out polite, almost _overly_ and _carefully_ polite.

“Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes.” Bucky nods to the King in turn at the greetings and looks at the colorful arrangement of flowers in his hands.

“For Tony?” He asks and Steve’s blank face seems to be fighting back a frown at the King’s nod.

“I thought he might appreciate the splash of color.” The King says as he look down at the bouquet.

“That’s very kind of you.” Steve says tightly and T’Challa just gives him a simple smile, like Steve’s obvious aggravation and displeasure at the King bringing Tony flowers doesn’t matter to him in the slightest.

Although Bucky figures it doesn’t. Not really anyways, the King has always and will probably always continue doing whatever the hell he’s wanted to do regardless of Steve’s stances. Bucky doesn’t really expect him to start changing now. T’Challa glances past Bucky to the chairs and the balloons.

“For Tony as well?” He asks and Bucky nods. “So you went with Mr. Wilson this morning? Have you had a chance to sign the cards?” Bucky’s lips twitch a little at the reminder and Steve gets a confused look, glancing at Bucky for clarification.

“Yeah, I signed them when we got them.” T’Challa seems to be fighting back a smile.

“Ah, I didn’t have the chance to see all of the comments, there were quite a few after all.”

“What comments?” Steve interrupts and Bucky shrugs.

“Wilson bought several boxes of ‘Avenger’s Valentines Cards’. He’s making people sign them with the most random things that they can come up with. Happy’s helping him.” Tony’s friend was suspicious of Wilson earlier, but after a hushed conversation between the two of them they got along like aces.

“Okoye and the others have found it quite entertaining.” T’Challa offers up as he moves towards the door. “Well then, it was good to see the both of you. Please excuse me.”

“I don’t think Tony’s up for visitors right now.” Steve says as he shifts his weight slightly, almost sliding between the door and the King.

“I don’t believe there’s harm in asking. Thank you for the warning Captain, oh! And Miss Carter has been asking around for you.” T’Challa says as he steps around Steve and knocks softly on the door. “Anthony? May I come in?” At first there’s no response from the man on the other side.

“Yeah, come in.” Comes slightly muffled through the door and T’Challa gives Steve a head incline before walking inside.

“Good afternoon.” Is the last thing they hear before the door closes and Bucky notices Steve’s clenched fist.

“You alright there Stevie?” He asks and Steve seems to break out of his door glaring and looks at Bucky.

“Yeah…yeah I’m fine. Maybe you should go in too? I’ll track down Sam and sign the cards?” Bucky pauses and slowly nods.

“Okay, I’ll catch up with you later.” Steve nods and turns with a quick gait away from the door and Bucky just shakes his head. He has no clue what’s happening around here anymore, these people have more drama than one of those horrible ‘soap operas’.

Bucky takes his time, gathering up all of the balloon strings and the doll before going over to the door and knocking. “Tony?” He says in lieu of a greeting.

“You can come in.” Tony calls out and Bucky opens the door. T’Challa’s busy setting the flowers up in a vase on the stand next to Tony’s bed and Tony gets a soft smile with Bucky enters. His eyes go to the items presented for him and he laughs.

“Thanks.” He says as he holds his hands out for the Iron Man plushy and chuckles as he turns it over in his hands.

“There, exactly what the room needed.” T’Challa says as he finishes up and Tony gives him a gentle look.

“Thanks again. It was kind of depressing in here.”

“Yeah, whoever decided white monochromatic standards should be used in labs and hospitals needs to be shot.” Bucky didn’t mean to have the words come out and Tony glances at him with a look that’s asking him if he’s going to be okay in here. Bucky cringes a little at the slip up and shrugs. “It’s fine…I’m fine.” He assures and Tony takes a moment before nodding and leaning back. He says something to T’Challa in the next few moments, but Bucky doesn’t hear the words.

Instead, he hears the slight hitch to Tony’s voice that Tony tries to hide. He sees the slight redness to his eyes, and the moisture that’s still clumping his lashes together. It makes Bucky clench his fist and he feels a strong urge to go smack Steve upside the head.

Bucky glances at T’Challa to see if the King has noticed the brunet’s prior distress as well, but if he has then he’s choosing to ignore it completely and go on as if nothing has happened. There’s nothing in his movements or his conversation with Tony that touches on it in any way and Bucky decides to follow in the King’s example.

They stay for a few minutes, the King filling Tony in on everything that has happened with the Accords that Tony might not have been aware of. There’s a moment when something registers with Bucky. There’s a difference when the King speaks to Tony then how Bucky’s heard him speak to the others. The calm articulation of his sentences, and the almost detached, authoritative tone that the King responds to with everyone else is curiously missing.

Bucky’s snapped out of his musings when there’s a knock at the door. Everyone glances at it as Tony calls out ‘Come in’. The door is opened seconds later and a whole entourage follows Happy into the room. Tony looks surprised at all of the faces at first, some of them are people that Bucky’s only recently met from Xavier’s school, as Sam and Happy brandish the cards and cheap chocolate hearts that Happy promised Tony adored.

This is probably not the actual case as Tony sees them before tossing his head back and laughing. Happy’s grinning like he’s just pulled one over on them all and Bucky and Sam make eye contact promising prank retribution to the other man. Bucky watches as Happy collects most of the valentine cards before handing them off to Rhodes who holds them out for Tony. Bucky remembers how Tony had been unable to take the phone and the water from the guard at the prison, hell he’d been unable to take them from Steve either, but he takes them with a smile from Rhodes and opens them up. His face is comical as he reads out a collection of the randomest quotes, short poems that make no sense, and off the wall get well wishing.

There’s a soft beep that cuts through some of the laughter and T’Challa pulls out his phone before sighing and sliding it back into his pocket. “Unfortunately, I must depart.”

“Okay, thanks for stopping by.” Tony gives him a smile and nods towards the flowers. “Thanks for those too.” T’Challa nods and stands.

“Until next time.” Tony nods.

“Until next time.” He agrees as T’Challa excuses himself from the room. There’s a pause after he leaves where Rhodes seems to be giving Tony an arched eyebrow and Tony gives him the blankest of looks. “What?”

Rhodes shakes his head and seems to be exasperatedly amused. “Dude…you are such an idiot sometimes.” He whispers to Tony before handing him the final grouping of cards and it’s clear by Tony’s face that Tony has absolutely no idea what Rhodes is talking about.

~+~

“Come in.” Steve calls through the door and Bucky pushes it open. There’s a second where he’s momentarily caught off guard before he steps forward in concern.

“What happened?” He asks and Steve glances at his direction as he wipes off the blood that’s trailed from his nose down his chin.

“Training. Or so I’m told.” Bucky frowns and comes over to glance Steve over. The blonde looks like he’s been through the ringer. Like he went and fought all of Hydra’s forces and the Red Skull single handedly before returning slightly victorious.

“Who with?”

“Sharon.” Bucky takes a step back at that confession and he nods.

“You told her?”

“Didn’t need to. She figured it out.” Steve rolls his shoulder like it’s hurting him before he tries to change the subject. “So, how’d gift giving go?”

“It went fine. I’m more concerned about you getting your ass kicked.”

“Don’t worry about it. We had it out, it’s over now.” Steve assures and Bucky doesn’t feel placated by the admission. There’s a moment of awkward silence that Bucky can’t remember every having existed in the time before, but now feels like he can’t go a day without experiencing. Steve seems to realize it too so he picks a safe subject change. “I guess Wanda’s being taken to Xavier’s school.”

“I heard.”

“I think it’ll be good for her. I’m glad Tony sees that too.” Steve shrugs on a new shirt. “She needs help, not to be demonized for her mistakes.” Bucky frowns for a moment.

“That’s a new tune.”

“What?” Steve asks as he looks at him. “I’ve always thought that Buck.” Bucky shakes his head.

“No, Tony’s always thought that. He’s been the one constantly trying to get her help. You’ve been the one coddling her and telling her that she’s done no wrong and she’s a victim of circumstance at Tony’s hand.”

“Tony and Wanda have never seen eye to eye.” Steve starts and Bucky snorts.

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I’ve been doing the best I can to help the both of them, and it’s unfortunate what happened but I guess I’m glad that the end result will create better chances tomorrow.” Bucky pauses.

“Unfortunate? Its ‘unfortunate what happened’?” There must be a warning tone to his voice because Steve seems to backtrack.

“I’m not saying that I’m glad it happened or anything like that. Do you think I wanted that to happen?”

“I think you didn’t stop it from happening.” Is the god’s honest truth.

“Buck,” Steve looks gutted. “How could you say that? You know me, you know I _never_ want anyone to get hurt.”

It’s weird, but the look doesn’t really affect him. He’s feeling a strange undercurrent under his skin. It’s a similar feeling that he remembers from long ago when he’d have to look out for a scrawny moron who didn’t know how to take care of himself. “No Steve. I don’t think I know the you that you think I do, and I don’t think _you_ know the you that you are and not the one that you think you are.”

“Bucky?” There’s confusion in his tone and for a moment Bucky remembers how he walked into Tony’s room and the engineer had to hide the fact that he had been _crying_. Steve had done that, Steve had fucked up everything in that man’s life and now he was going to stand here and pretend that he’d what? Accomplished something with Wanda that was really Tony’s accomplishment?

Bucky thinks about how Sam told him once that if he were feeling combative that maybe the best method of dealing with it was just to get out of the situation until he’d cooled down and had a moment to get his head on straight. Bucky decides to listen to that advice and turns to leave, but Steve – bull headed 'Captain America' Steve who never liked anyone walking away from him without his approval – moves quickly to block his exit. “Move Steve.”

“No. Talk to me Buck, what’s going on with you?”

“I said to move Steve.”

“No!” Steve’s face gets that stubborn frown. “You never talk to me anymore, you never give me a chance to help fix this.”

“Fix what Steve? Do you even know what needs fixing?” He snaps and Steve’s shoulders go back.

“I might if you told me.”

“And if you don’t like the answer, if it’s not the answer you’re expecting?”

“I’m not ‘expecting’ any answer Buck.” Bucky laughs and it’s not a kind sound.

“Of course not. You’re not already sure that the thing that needs ‘fixing’ is me. Hell I’m sure you’d even go as far to say that the one who needs ‘fixing’ is Tony.”

“What does Tony have to do with any of this?”

“Everything and nothing at all.” It’s a phrase that Tony used once, to try and explain how important something was when he couldn’t quite explain why the two things were connected but he knew they were. The look on Steve’s face shows that he’s heard it before.

“We’re not talking about Tony, Buck. We’re talking about you.” Bucky shakes his head.

“Aren’t we though? I thought we were talking about what needs ‘fixing’.”

“We are, and stop using that word like that. I didn’t mean it like you were broken.”

“Isn’t that what you meant though? Isn’t it Steve? Because that’s what I heard.”

“You’re twisting my words then.”

“Or maybe you’re not paying attention to what you’re saying.” Steve takes a small step back when Bucky snaps that sentence at him and something crosses his face.

“Have…have you been talking to Sam?” He asks and Bucky frowns wondering where the hell that change of subject came from.

“What? Of course I have. He’s ‘transitioning’ me to Nate. What does that have to do with anything?”

“He…he said something similar a little while ago.” There’s a pause. “Wait, who’s Nate?” Bucky rolls his eyes.

“Nate is the therapist that Sam recommended.” He answers and Steve gets a small, unsure smile.

“That’s…that’s good to hear.” Bucky shakes his head.

“No, no you do not get to do that. You don’t get to suddenly act like you’re the misunderstood good guy who has always cared all along.”

“Bucky, please. I do care.”

“Do you Steve? Do you really?”

“Of course I do!”

“Oh, so you think that me going to therapy with a professional who has actually counseled P.O.W’s is a good idea?”

“Of course I do Buck.”

“You think that’s a good thing for me? A good decision? The best possible outcome?” Steve nods and Bucky’s had enough. “Then where was that _care_ when Tony offered it before Germany?” Steve’s face shutters closed. “Oh yeah, did you know that Nate was actually one of the therapists that he had _already_ tapped as a possible match for me?”

“Buck-”

“No, shut up. You don’t get to stand here and pretend that you were on board with this the whole time. You don’t get to _rewrite_ my past and everyone else’s just because you didn’t come out on top.” Bucky takes a step back and he feels the adrenaline coursing through him and he knows that he should get out, but that stupid idiot is blocking the door and he doesn’t trust himself laying his hands on Steve right now to move him. “What the hell happened to you?” The question comes out wounded and Steve takes a step towards him, looking like he’s going to cry when Bucky takes an instinctual step back.

“Bucky…”

“No, tell me. Tell me right now, where is Steve? Where is _my_ Stevie? Where has he gone?”

“I’m right here Buck.” There’s tears in Steve’s eyes and in his voice and it sets Bucky off.

“No! No you’re not! I don’t know who this is but you’re not him. My Steve would have _never_ blamed a man for the transgressions of his father. He would have _never_ allowed for someone to be bullied and victimized in front of him. He would have _never_ been blind to all of the good that person was trying to do. He was _always_ looking for a reason to see good in everyone, not just constantly pulling up past mistakes and never letting someone live them down. And that stupid little cuss who was _always_ waiting for the right person, who _hated_ and _cursed me out_ when he thought that I was potentially misleading any girl and who would take on _anyone_ to the point of death that he thought was toying with any dame, whether he knew her or not – he would have _never_ turned around and do it himself.”

“Bucky…Bucky please. I’m here, I’m right here.” Bucky shakes his head.

“What happened to you Steve…what happened?”

“Nothing happened, I’m still the same Steve.”

“No you’re not. I don’t know when you lost him, if it was when they tied you into that stupid machine or if it was in the time after that when you started buying your own publicity. But you’re not him Steve. You’re not even a decent memory of him.” The tears are falling now, and it takes a second for Bucky to realize that they’re in his own eyes as well. He doesn’t know how to fix this, he doesn’t even know if there’s anything left to fix.

“Buck-” Steve tries again, through hiccupping breaths and Bucky realizes in a second that he needs out. He needs out of this room where he’s trapped with a complete _stranger_ wearing a face that reminds him of his best friend from days long since past.

Bucky maneuvers quickly around Steve, who thankfully doesn’t try to stop him a second time and rushes out of the door. His chest feels tight and all of the walls feel too close when he practically stumbles into his room. He doesn’t know what’s happening or what to do when he hears a voice speaking over the speakers in a gentle tone.

 _‘Mr. Barnes, your breathing and heart rate are elevated. Would you like me to call for assistance?’_ Bucky shakes his head, and then pauses for a second and nods. _‘Who would you like me to call?’_ Her voice is strangely calming and he wonders if Tony programs them with that end result in mind. Vision’s voice is similar and he’s told that Vision is a second version of an AI Tony used to have named JARVIS.

“…Call Sam.” He gets out after a moment and there’s a pause before she replies.

 _‘Mr. Wilson has been notified and is on his way. Is there anything else I can do for you to help you?’_ Bucky takes a moment before he nods.

“Please just…keep talking.” He doesn’t really take in the words she says, at certain moments she reminds him to breathe calmly with her.

His fingers clench onto his arms tightly and the pain from the metal hand digging into the skin doesn’t help, but he can’t make the grip lighten.

He slides down the wall and waits for Sam to come.

 


End file.
